


Hershey Kisses and Salt Lines

by nightmares06, PL1



Series: Brothers Together [2]
Category: Supernatural, The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: ATTENTION, Abandonment, Alone, Brothers, Capture, Children, Climbing, Cursed Sam, Family, Games, Gen, Homework, Hoodie, Humans, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Sam, Kiddo, Lessons, Little Brother Sam, Little Brother Sammy, Loneliness, Motel, OC, Orphan - Freeform, Overprotective Big Brother, Pillow - Freeform, Playing Games, Protective Big Brother, Protective Dean, School, Size Difference, Size Fic, Sonic The Hedgehog - Freeform, Students, TINY - Freeform, Tag, Teaching, Teen Dean, Television, Tiny!Sam, Weechesters, X-men - Freeform, adapting, big!Dean, class, classmates - Freeform, curse, cushion, giant, hood, kid oscar, kid oz, orphan oscar, orphan oz, pay attention, sammy - Freeform, sleeping on a pillow, teacher, tiny!oz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 106,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5211035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightmares06/pseuds/nightmares06, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PL1/pseuds/PL1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A month has passed since Sam was cursed, and there's no cure in sight. He and Dean are left on their own during one of John's hunts to go to school and do their best to get by. After all this time, Sam's no more used to being small than he was before, and when Dean catches an unexpected visitor he gets the chance to learn all about his new size.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Capture

“Aww, c’mon, Dean!” Sam said pleadingly. He shifted around on the surface he was sitting on, careful to not yank any of the spiky hairs that surrounded him. The last thing he needed to do was inspire a reflexive action in his gigantic brother by pulling out a hair. He already tickled Dean just by sitting on his shoulder, he didn’t need to do more. It was like a small-scale earthquake when Dean flinched.  
  
Once he was in the right position, he slid down from his seat on top of Dean’s head and landed on the older boy’s shoulder so he could meet his eyes. Sam's best attempts at coaxing anything out of Dean always came with eye contact, and he intended to use every asset he had now that he couldn't just snatch away the controller. “It’s only for a bit! Then you can watch whatever you want!”  
  
Dean’s eyes snapped over to his shoulder, landing on the tiny form of his cursed brother. “But  _X-Men_  is on  _now,_ ” he said defensively. “It won’t be on later.”  
  
Sam, standing barely over two and a half inches, managed to meet the look in those green eyes without flinching. Considering he’d only been cursed a little over a month, he was inwardly proud of the way he could stand up for himself against Dean. He’d found that everything was scarier ever since losing his height... even the brother he’d had at his side his entire life.  
  
After all, those eyes were bigger than his entire head now.  
  
But, giant or not, Dean was Dean. He might argue, complain and grumble, but he’d never once shouted at Sam. He was always cautious, and he might grab Sam from time to time, but he’d never even come close to hurting his little brother no matter how much Sam tried to squirm free. And he didn’t  _ignore_  his brother just because he was smaller now.   
  
Sam wished that their dad was the same way. Usually, he either shouted at them both, or acted like Dean was responsible for  _any_ of Sam’s actions. Even the time he’d hitched a ride to school! They’d both been berated, but Dean had been the one punished. It didn't even matter that Dean had no idea he was there until they were halfway to school.  
  
Even after all that, they stubbornly continued to go to school together. Whether or not John approved, he no longer said. Personally, Sam doubted it, but after the shouting match between father and older son, John had stopped arguing and snarled that if Dean wanted to be reckless with Sam, it was  _his_  responsibility.  
  
Acting like Sam didn’t have a mind of his own anymore.  
  
At least he wasn’t around. He’d dropped them off at the  _Knights Inn_  in Breckenridge, Colorado. He’d given them a date he  _should_ return, and left one of his fake credit cards with Dean to cover food expenses. He left salt lines around the doors and windows to keep bad things out, and a list of contingency plans for Dean to follow in case of emergency.  
  
Then left.  
  
The motel was interesting. Sam was fascinated by the images of medieval knights that adorned the walls. He’d stared at one that hung above their bed for an hour while he waited for Dean to wake up in the morning before the alarm clock went off. The shining armor and the white horse and the sword lifted high in the air seemed so cliche, but he couldn’t help but wish  _he’d_  be able to ride in on a white horse and save the day, instead of being the victim that needed to be saved.  
  
He turned his best puppy eyes on Dean, trying to cajole the older boy away from watching his show. After all,  _Sonic the Hedgehog_ was only on once and Sam wanted to see what the show was like.  
  
Sam saw the moment Dean cracked. The annoyance in the green eyes vanished, and he managed a smile back. “ _Fine_ ,” he said. “But next time  _X-Men_ ’s on,  _I_  get the tv.”  
  
“Deal!” Sam said brightly. That was fair.  
  
Dean flattened himself back on the bed, lying on his stomach. They were facing the tv, near the foot of the bed where a bag of Hershey Kisses was sitting. He flicked through the cartoons that were on, finding the channel they’d passed earlier with a blue hedgehog flashing through the screen. Once he found it, he grabbed a chocolate from the bag and unwrapped it. Dean popped it in his mouth, staring rapt at the screen. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he enjoyed the show just as much as Sam.  
  
Sam stretched himself out on his stomach as well, mimicking the way his big brother was lying. Instead of being stretched out on the bed, however, he was stretched out along Dean’s shoulder with his feet pointing towards the older boy’s back. The fact that Dean was eating a piece of candy the size of his torso didn't bother Sam at all. Not so long as it was Dean, at least. He rested his head on his arms, and smiled to himself.  
  
At least Dean hadn’t changed, no matter what had befallen Sam.

* * *

  
While the TV flickered to images of the blue blur, down below it an unseen third guest in the room lay in wait. The space under the dresser looked like a maze of dust bunnies and the occasional forgotten wrapper left by people who missed the trash can. The maids at  _Knights Inn_  weren't paid enough to bother with vacuuming under the furniture every time they turned a room over.  
  
Their haste proved to be an asset for the person hiding in the dust they overlooked. It was a landscape that might look dangerous to Sam, newly shrunken as he was. He could get tangled in a larger dustbunny and trip over himself trying to get out of it. The jungle of dust made the shadows even murkier.  
  
But for Oscar, who'd never known any different, it just made it easier to hide under the dresser. He was even small for his age, making it easier than ever to duck behind things and go unnoticed.  
  
Even so, he should  _not_  be in this room. There was a  _human_  out there. His little heart was fluttering with fear from the very idea. Humans were the most dangerous enemy for someone like him.  
  
He'd been stuck in the room since the human teen had gone out for food, coming back sooner than Oscar had expected. He was still getting used to judging the comings and goings of humans in the motel. It was hard. Humans had patterns but it was dangerous to watch too closely. Noticing  _them_  too closely might get  _him_  noticed back.  
  
The last thing he wanted was to get  _caught._  
  
If a human caught him, it'd all be over. Oscar, barely over two inches tall, couldn't hope to escape even the frailest human. They could play with him like a toy or lock him in a cage like a pet. He thought of the many traps set in the motel's kitchen and shuddered. He never went in there for fear of having one of those snap closed on him.  
  
They could kill him just as easily as those traps. For a human, it'd be as easy as snapping their fingers.  
  
Oscar remembered hearing all these lessons, and he recited them to himself every time he went out for supplies. They were essential to his survival, he’d always been told. He had to plan his every move around what the humans did. It was difficult, and there were a few times he thought he might just lie down from hunger and never get back up, but he always made it. His luck hadn't run out yet.  
  
Though it certainly felt like it. He'd been intrigued at first, seeing another kid like him with that human. Sitting on his  _head_ , and now resting right on his shoulder. They'd talked to each other like normal. Even  _argued_  about what show to watch on the television sitting above Oscar’s head.  
  
The picture didn't fit what he'd heard about humans. But Oscar wasn't about to march out and ask what was going on. That would get him caught for sure. If that other kid was once a captive, who knew what had made him so friendly with the human now?  
  
What he  _needed_  was to get out of the room. He was crouched near the side of the dresser closest to his exit. A vent, probably a whole five feet away, was set into the wall. If he could just reach it, he'd be fine.  
  
The problem was the human. He was facing the wall where Oscar's vent was located. One glance down and he could see Oscar running for it. Oscar had to wait for his opportunity.  
  
It didn't come for several more minutes, but considering how long he'd already been stranded, it made little difference to the kid hiding under the dresser. When that teenager was staring intently at the screen, hardly moving, Oscar thought it was as distracted as he'd get. Images of the show flickered in those green eyes.  
  
Oscar took a deep breath, clinging tightly to the strap of the cloth bag slung over his shoulder. He inched towards the wall under the dresser, his eyes on the vent. It was far, but he could do it. It was what he was supposed to do: get away from the human.  
  
So he ran.

* * *

  
Sam was quickly enthralled by the show on the television. It wasn't hard to figure out why; neither brother had ever owned a video game system while growing up, but at least once John had actually buckled to let Sam visit a friend for a few hours, and there was a Sega Genesis in the house.  
  
Sam might not be able to hold the controller now, but he could watch Sonic the Hedgehog just like any other kid and pretend he was still playing that game. His eyes were wide as he watched the movie theater sized screen, completely enthralled by Sonic’s antics.  
  
Dean rested his head on his arms, eyes glued to the tv the same as Sam. But his attention drifted, wondering if their dad had had any luck in tracking down a cure for Sam. After over a month, no one had even found a trace of his attacker, and no lore that Bobby had dug up pointed to the possibility of a size change. He might not be allowed to listen in when the two hunters were talking, but he knew the places to go in Bobby's house where he could overhear the voices. All he had to do was prop the right window open upstairs and he'd catch almost every word they said. He'd only chanced it when Sam was sleeping, knocked out on the house-sized pillow that sat on Dean's bed. Dean didn't want Sam to hear any bad news at all. He deserved to keep his hopes up, as long as it took.  
  
When Dr. Robotnik appeared on screen, something down on the floor caught Dean's attention. He squinted, and could have sworn there was something  _moving_  down there.  
  
"Hey, watch out," he warned Sam. If it was a false alarm, he didn't want to interrupt the show.  
  
Sam barely acknowledged his older brother as he slipped down from the shoulder and landed on the plushy bed with a small bounce. He didn't glance away from the screen as Dean straightened, moving into a kneeling position above Sam's head.  
  
_Is it a mouse?_  
  
Dean didn't want to risk having any unknown animals darting around the room. Sam was small and vulnerable now. It would only take Dean leaving him alone once at the wrong time for tragedy to occur. He didn't need John's voice in the back of his head to tell him that.   
  
Dean slipped quietly off the bed, creeping over towards the wall. He ignored a curious question shot his way from Sam, who was finally taking note of his older brother's odd behavior.  
  
"Gimme a sec," Dean muttered over his shoulder.  
  
He saw the movement again and lunged forward. Two hands slammed around the small animal to trap it between them. The show was completely forgotten as Dean stood back up, eyes wide as he stared down at his hands. He could hardly feel the weight of what he’d found.  
  
_Did I see what I thought I saw?_  
  
“What is it, Dean?” Sam asked, taking a few hesitant steps forward on the uneven surface of the bed.  
  
Just as curious as Sam, Dean cracked open his hands so he could peek inside at what he'd caught. He sucked in a gasp of surprise and slammed them shut, staring back at Sam in dismay.  
  
It was a kid even smaller than Sammy.


	2. Oscar

Oscar's wide eyes were brimming with tears as his gaze whipped in every direction in the dark enclosure. "H-hands," he murmured to himself, the realization offering him no comfort at all. Just one glimpse of that enormous green eye peeking in at him left him wracked with shivers. His body was primed to bolt but there was nowhere to go.  
  
He had been so sure he could make it. When the human got off the bed, his heart had begun a frightened dance in his tiny, heaving chest, and it was performing an encore now.  
  
Humans were so  _fast._  Oscar had never thought it would be possible for someone to move as quickly as the human did to capture him. But before he'd even made it halfway to his goal, two hands bigger than him slammed closed around him and took his freedom away.  
  
Oscar knew he was very high up. Too high to have a chance if he were to fall. Probably too high for his climbing thread to be long enough. The pin and thread combination was enough to climb to the table in the room, but not much higher.  
  
He considered getting his pin from his bag. It could be like a weapon. But just imagining an angry human that had him in his hands deterred that line of thinking. Even if he poked at the human's skin with a safety pin, the human could do a lot worse in retaliation.  
  
This was a nightmare.  
  
"No no no no no," he mumbled, his lower lip trembling with the tears that were already leaking out and racing down his cheeks. Oscar could see his prison's outline in the light that broke through the cracks between the human's fingers. He felt so small in there.  
  
The human could close his hands together and squish Oscar between them, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.  
  
He pushed against the thick skin with his hands, scrambling around for some opening he knew he wouldn't find. He had to get out, somehow. He had to escape before the helplessness swallowed him up and he was left without enough presence of mind to help himself.  
  
"Let me go, let me go," he said aloud, still more of a mumble. He hadn't spoken in so long. And his nerves didn't let him shout. A low whine of terror was stuck in his throat. Oscar kept pushing against the fingers that outsized him.  
  
A sob escaped and it seemed to be the key. Oscar let out a plaintive wail and his efforts doubled. He imagined those hands closing in. Keeping him immobile and doing whatever they wanted. The adrenaline and fear left his limbs feeling like jelly, and he couldn't keep up his struggles. He curled up into a ball and covered his head with his arms, trembling all over.  
  
"Please," he keened, desperate tears pouring down his face now. "Please!"  


* * *

  
The frantic cry from within Dean's cupped hands broke the silent standoff between the brothers.  
  
"Dean!" Sam cried out. "Be careful! Don't hurt them!" He tried to run forward on the bed but he could only go so far with Dean standing two feet beyond.  
  
The older boy was frozen in disbelief. The green eyes were glued to his hands, unable to believe what he'd seen. Even after the last month spent with Sam the size of a finger, it was almost impossible to believe that there were  _more_  like him.  
  
Sam's determined shouts started to break through to him and he shakily made it back over to the bed. Dean sank down to his knees and held the hands over the bedspread so the little guy inside wasn't in danger of falling. He could feel the tiny shudders, and the fear in the small voice was hard to take. It twisted Dean's heart. He could imagine Sam trapped the exact same way, unable to get out and no one to help him.  
  
And then Sam was climbing on his hand, trying to pry the older boy's fingers open. "Let him out!" Sam begged, trying to break through Dean's frozen mind. "He's scared!"  
  
The small yanks against his fingers by hands that were almost microscopic, coupled with the tiny, trembling body trapped within, finally broke through to Dean. His hands slightly shaking, he cracked open the top just enough for Sam to slip in.  
  
Sam didn't spare a thought for the size of the fingers that he squirmed between to get to the kid inside. And the fact that he dropped down an inch into darkness before he hit the surface of Dean's palm didn't deter him either. He wasn't used to being small, but he  _knew_  he was safe in Dean's hands.  
  
No matter how big they got.  
  
While the hands slowly unfolded around them to let in the light, Sam crawled over to the little boy that was trapped inside. "It's okay," he said gently, scooping up the crying little kid into his arms. "I promise. That's just my big brother. He'd never hurt you!"  
  
"B-but he's s-so  _big,_ ” Oscar stuttered out. The words had to fight their way around sobs that hitched his shoulders and caught his breath in his throat. His face was already flushed from his crying, and his head pounded from the stress. Oscar's chest heaved with frightened breaths that barely made it to his lungs.  
  
Though his vision was blurry now, when he looked up, he could see enough of the details of Dean's face to know the human was looking right at him. He quaked and looked away, clinging to Sam like his life depended on it. He had no idea who this other boy was, or why he was with a human calling him  _brother._  But he was the closest thing Oscar had to something familiar.  
  
He was still on a human's hands. He could feel the warmth radiating off of them. He could feel the way he and the other small boy sank into the skin just a little bit. He could even feel the occasional twitch of a muscle underneath them, and wondered if they were so light they only tickled the huge teenaged human.  
  
He was as bedraggled as he'd ever been. Oscar hadn't taken the time lately to do much with his wavy brown hair, but now it was especially mussed after his brief time struggling about in the human's closed up hands. His shirt was rumpled, the tattered sleeves already becoming damp with tears as he kept trying in vain to wipe his eyes dry.  
  
The initial panicked breathing began to taper into something closer to normal, though Oscar was still shuddering and his shoulders still twitched with sobs. After the scare of being grabbed and lifted so high so quickly, he needed to release it. Even though he wasn't out of the woods yet, seeing as he was still on a pair of gigantic hands.  
  
"I-I w-was just-" he began, thinking that maybe explaining why he was in the room might help. Maybe the human wouldn't be mad about him sneaking around, which Oscar knew humans sometimes got upset about. But he couldn't put any more words together and he hid his face behind a hand while the other clutched at Sam's jacket.  
  
"Shh..." Sam tried to sooth the younger boy. Putting a hand behind his head, Sam pulled him close to his chest. "That's right. He's big, but he's nice. He didn't mean to scare you, and he's going to put us both down now, okay?"  
  
The last sentence was given special emphasis. Sam looked up at Dean while he kept the other boy's head cupped against his chest. Tiny hazel eyes locked on the older Winchester's worried greens. Dean nodded slowly, understanding that Sam was talking to him there. He lowered his hands all the way down to the bed, flattening them completely.  
  
The other kid was so  _small_. Between the two sitting in his hand, Dean couldn't believe he was holding two  _entire people._  Even after adjusting to Sam over the last month, this other kid was something else. He made Sam seem sturdy, all two and a half inches of him.  
  
The moment the hands touched ground, Sam pulled himself to a wobbly stand. He wrapped his arms securely around the kid clinging to him and stepped down onto the bed. The comforter gave under even their small weight, and Sam sank to his knees.  
  
He gently tried to cajole the other child away from his chest. "There, see?" He smiled at the kid. "Dean didn't mean to grab you. You're safe here."  
  
Oscar looked up at Sam, a hiccup making him blink in surprise. There were still tears falling from his watery, red-rimmed eyes, but the frantic sobbing had petered out. It was too exhausting to keep up for very long. Oscar brushed a slightly-too-long sleeve over his eyes again, sighing heavily.  
  
He dared to look past Sam at the human still staring down at them. He didn't understand what was going on. Sam's words made it to his head, but they didn't make any sense at all. A  _nice_  human?! He'd always been warned to stay away from the bigger folk, to avoid this exact situation: capture.  
  
Oscar ducked his head and his shoulders bunched up with a few more shuddering gasps of air. He could feel the heat in his face from all the crying, but more than that he felt all the open air around him, leaving him exposed to Dean's sight. So he tried to keep himself hidden from view behind Sam, who seemed to know what was going on more than he did.  
  
"Whuh-" Oscar tried to speak, but his voice croaked out and he had to cough. He turned his head and covered his mouth with the inside of his elbow to do so, and finally rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, clearing them of the latest batch of tears.  
  
"What's gonna happen to me?" he asked quietly, meeting Sam's gaze once more. The fear in his eyes conveyed all the possibilities he imagined. Possibilities he'd been warned about since he learned how to walk. Humans were supposed to be  _dangerous._  He didn't understand how this Dean was supposed to be any different.  
  
“Uh…” Sam frowned in confusion, wondering what the kid thought they were going to do. He’d never seen anyone so completely _terrified_  just seeing Dean.  
  
But then he thought back to when he’d first discovered his curse. Waking up in a world where everything towered over him. If there had been anyone but Dean in the room, he might not have calmed down so easily. And even Dean had started out as terrifyingly enormous. Sam had tried to bolt, running away from his entire world. Desperate to find someone,  _anyone_  the same size as him. Convinced that  _his_ Dean was out there waiting for him,  _normal_. Not a giant that could trap him in a single hand.  
  
“Nothing’s gonna happen to you,” Sam said steadily. He gave the small kid an uncertain smile. “I  _promise._  We just want to make sure you’re okay after all that. My name’s Sam, and this is my big brother Dean. What’s your name?”  
  
Oscar sniffled and shifted so his arms hugged around his middle, an attempt to brace himself against further shudders. It almost worked. "I'm Oscar," he answered quietly. "H-hi, Sam." He might have tried to smile back shyly, but his face wouldn't have cooperated even if he felt like it. Not yet.  
  
He took a steeling breath and leaned over slowly, peeking around Sam to look up at Dean again. He was still so big. But he was just looking at them. He didn't reach for them again or try to trap them somewhere. He just waited, watching with concern. It certainly didn't fit what Oscar previously thought about humans. What made Dean different? And how'd he end up finding Sam?  
  
Oscar sighed again, an ache in his chest from all the exertion his recent scare had put on his heart. It still pounded, but not as frantically as it had when he found himself shooting into the air. The memory, still so fresh, made his stomach clench with residual fear.  
  
"How ... h-how did you end up with a human for a brother?" he asked, his voice still raw but louder than before.  
  
"Dean's  _always_  been my brother," Sam proclaimed proudly. He drew himself up a little straighter. "We grew up together. He'd _never_  let anything happen to us." Sam knew that would always be true. Not once since being shrunk down had Dean let him down. He was always watching out, and it made Sam feel safe even when everything else around them loomed above his head. Even being stuck, unable to get down from a table on his own wasn't scary with Dean there to help.  
  
Sam wrinkled his nose in confusion as the rest of Oscar's question sank in. "But we're  _both_  human. Just being stuck under a curse doesn't mean I'm not anymore. What about you? How long have you been small?"  
  
Oscar's expression grew confused as he stared up at Sam. He seemed so proud and sure of himself, but his words didn't make any sense. He grew up with a  _human?_  And mention of a curse only made his brow pinch together in thought. Sam wasn't making much sense at all, but then again Oscar shouldn't be surprised. He already hung around a human, and it looked like he didn't even have a  _bag_  to carry his things in. Everyone knew you needed some way to keep all your supplies organized!  
  
But Sam's question made Oscar blush a little and he sat up a little straighter too. He'd always known he was rather small for his age, but he'd really been noticing some improvement on that in the last year. "I-I'm not ...! I've been growing, I-I gained a whole eighth of an inch this year so far!" he protested, visibly flustered.  
  
_That_  was what caught Dean's attention, pulling him the rest of the way out of his shock and awe at discovering someone even  _smaller_  than Sam in their room. Up until that moment, he'd been fine just watching Sam coax the kid out of his fear. It was easier for him, since they were close to the same size.  
  
"Oz," he interrupted as cautiously as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was make the kid cry again. "Have you  _always_ been..." he waved a hand at the pair, at a loss for what to say for a second. "That... size?"  
  
Oscar emitted a low squeak of surprise to hear the human's ...  _Dean's_  voice again. Even speaking in a hushed, careful tone, it was so much louder than Oscar or Sam. Oscar was grateful at least that Dean put in the effort to avoid basically shouting at them. He managed to meet Dean's gaze above for a few seconds before dropping eye contact. He wasn't feeling  _that_  bold.  
  
"W-well ... yeah ...?" he answered, uncertainty coloring his soft voice. He wasn't sure how else he would be. Sure, Sam had  _said_ he was a human, but that didn't mean Oscar understood what he meant. "B-but I think I could get to three and a half inches and that's not bad for us."  
  
He looked back up at Dean, this time with a question of his own driving past his nerves. "Why ... why'd you call me 'Oz?’ My name's  _Oscar._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Oz. Poor bby. Three and a half inches is so tall for you ;w;
> 
> Dean wasted no time giving him a nickname _What? That's not my name._


	3. Food Concerns

Sam almost missed the last question, still getting over the mindset that said three and a half inches was  _tall_. He was so used to thinking of tall being six feet or higher. Now… if they didn't break his curse, four inches would be an impressive height for him.  
  
But he managed to catch up in time to forestall a snarky comment from his brother, trying to keep Dean from spooking the kid.  
  
After all, this was the  _first person_  Sam had seen in over a month that was the same size as he was. He didn’t want Dean to scare the little guy off by being himself. The teen could be a lot to take from under three inches tall, as Sam well knew. And at least he knew Dean would listen to him. Oscar had no such assurance. As far as he was concerned, Dean could grab them both up in a hand as soon as he got bored.  
  
“That’s just Dean,” Sam said hurriedly. “He… uh. Always gives people nicknames. Just ignore it.” He pretended he didn’t see the offended  _Hey!_  Dean mouthed in his direction. There were more important things to focus on. “So… there’s more people like us? I’ve only been like this for a month… I thought I was the only one…”  
  
Oscar's mouth twisted into a frown. "A month?" he mumbled, more to himself than to Sam. Sam was definitely at least as old as Oscar, probably older. And yet he claimed he'd only been their size for a month. Oscar took a slow breath and tried to reconcile the thought that an actual  _human,_  someone the proper size to be Dean's real brother, had been shrunk down so small. It wasn't supposed to be possible, but then again neither was a human that didn't try to keep one of the smaller folk trapped.  
  
Maybe, if Sam really was Dean's brother, the older kid was already prepared to be a little nicer to smaller people. He  _had_  let them off his hand as soon as Sam told him to. Oscar decided to believe the claim for now, instead focusing on Sam's questions.  
  
"Well, of course there's others," he replied, adjusting his position where he sat so he huddled on the plushy comforter with his arms hugged around his legs. He was still a little nervous, but at least the shivering had died down. "But we were all born smaller than humans. We live ..." Oscar's cheeks turned pink and his eyes became sheepish at the realization of how close he’d come to revealing their secrets to a stranger. "I'm not supposed to say."  
  
“Oh.” The excitement Sam felt about learning people his size existed was dampened by Oscar’s last statement. “You… stay hidden?” It made sense, considering the kid’s reaction to Dean. They’d never heard of anyone like Oscar before, and originally started out thinking Sam was the only person his size. Dean grabbing Oscar proved how dangerous it could be… even though he’d never have hurt the little guy, he  _had_  trapped him. Frozen in disbelief… and with no way for Oscar to know he’d be let right out as soon as Dean realized what he was doing.  
  
“I hope I get to meet them one day,” Sam said, staring down at the bedspread to avoid both Oscar and Dean’s gazes. He didn’t want Dean to see how  _much_  he wanted to spend time around people his own size. He’d never want to leave his family, but… maybe for a little while he could feel normal. Not like a tiny freak that needed Dean around constantly in order to survive.  
  
Dean would hate to know that was how he felt sometimes.  
  
Oscar had to remind himself not to be surprised by what Sam said. He hadn't been this size all his life, so of course he wouldn't have met any of the other small people living in the walls. Until a month ago, Sam would have been just as terrifying to Oscar as Dean was. Big enough to trap the smaller boy in one hand if he wanted. Oscar would probably still be freaking out with  _two_ humans looming over him. Giant eyes staring down at him.  
  
But, Sam  _wasn't_  huge anymore. He was only a little taller than Oscar was, and the closest to him in age out of anyone he'd ever met. And he'd been kind, helping to calm Oscar down in the shadow of the human that had grabbed him up so quickly.  
  
"Well ... you met  _me,_ " Oscar reminded Sam after a pause. He remained as sheepish as before, but he'd always been told not to reveal the whereabouts of any others if he was found by a human. Sam may be the right size to meet the others, but  _Dean_  ... Dean was too big. And still a little intimidating to Oscar, who wasn't used to him like Sam clearly was. That would take time, as shy as he was.  
  
“You can bet I’m glad about that,” Sam declared with a grin. “And we can hang out together! I mean, we’ve got cable, and an entire room to explore and  _Hershey Kisses!_  ” He was excited by the thought of having someone his own size around. He could find out what it was really like to live at his size, for the first time.  
  
He remembered himself after a moment, and quieted. “I mean… if you want to,” he said, suddenly shy. Oscar might not want to spend time around them after the way he’d been snatched so easily off the ground.  
  
Sam blinked up at Oscar. “What  _were_  you doing in our room, anyway?” he asked curiously. “Isn’t it dangerous to be out here alone?”  
  
It was Oscar's turn to be sheepish again, though it could be argued he'd never stopped. Sitting the way he was, huddled on the bedspread, he looked even smaller than usual. But he'd forgotten all about it in the wake of having an actual conversation with someone his own size and his own age.  
  
"It ... it's kinda dangerous," he admitted. "I thought you'd be gone longer so ... I came in to look for supplies or food." He looked down, resting his chin on his knees. "I-I wasn't gonna steal anything, honest. I only take what I find dropped on the floor usually. Only what I need."  
  
He chanced a look up at Dean, wondering what the human would think about it. Oscar had heard that humans could get very angry about people sneaking around where they shouldn't. And someone small coming in to scrounge around for crumbs would certainly count as sneaking. Oscar had been trying his best not to be found, in fact.  
  
Both brothers were in shock at what they heard. They couldn’t imagine a life where they were forced to scrounge for  _crumbs_  in order to eat. Dean had been driven to stealing in the past, a fact that he’d kept from Sam more than once. He’d done whatever he had to in order to have enough food for them both.  
  
Of course, now, all he needed was enough food for one person.  
  
The sight of the tiny kid sitting next to Sammy, clearly underfed and frail compared to the older boy, made Dean’s big brother instincts rear up inside. After all the terror he’d caused Oscar, at least there was something he could do to help.  
  
“You can have some of the food,” Dean offered as he jumped up. “We’ve got leftovers.” Oscar flinched back and almost tumbled on the soft surface of the bedspread, his eyes a little wide as he stared up at Dean. He managed not to react more than that, saving himself the nerves.  
  
“We  _somehow_  have leftovers,” Sam said dryly, too concerned with backtalking Dean to notice Oscar's tumble. “Despite your best efforts at finishing off an entire pizza.” He glanced over at Oscar. "Plus, we've got chocolate," he said triumphantly. The bag sitting near them was only missing a few Hershey Kisses so far, since they'd only just finished eating.  
  
Oscar’s brow furrowed and he looked over at the bag nearby. He and Sam could fit in there easily, with lots of room to spare, if it were emptied of the foil wrapped shapes within. The flourishing letters on the plastic packaging called them  _Hershey Kisses_. He mouthed the words to himself as he read them out, wondering why they’d be called that.  
  
“I never had chocolate before,” he admitted, sounding more intrigued than sheepish. If he really was about to try chocolate, it was worth being a little excited. Humans were  _always_  talking about how great it was. And they never left any lying around, either. Oscar had only ever had stale, bland leftovers of what he could find on the floor. Actual candy was simply an imaginative, optimistic daydream for him.  
  
Until now, apparently.  
  
“I could really have some of your food? You don’t mind?” he asked, his eyes wide as he looked hopefully up at Sam. He looked down hastily when his stomach, alerted to the talk of food, made a noticeable noise. Oscar’s cheeks flushed pink yet again. He rubbed at his dry eyes for a moment before looking up again.  
  
“Of course you can,” Sam said reassuringly. “And you can take some home with you. S’not like we eat much compared to Dean, anyway. He wouldn’t even notice a missing bite or two.”  
  
“Hey, I’d  _notice,_ ” Dean complained as he came back over. “You have no faith in me.”   
  
In one hand he had a napkin with a bit of their pizza, and in the other he was holding one of the bottlecaps they’d taken to keeping around for Sam to use. He couldn’t exactly drink out of a glass, after all. Anything scaled to Dean’s size could easily be used by the smaller boy to swim in if he wanted to… or felt like jumping in a pool full of soda.  
  
Dean put the napkin next to where Sam and Oscar were sitting together, and the bottlecap on top. It was full of the dark, bubbly cola that he’d picked up at the pizza parlor while they were out.  
  
“Careful,” Sam warned. “You gotta let it settle. The bubbles will give you a stomachache.” He winced at the memory of his first time drinking soda after his curse. They’d had no idea how the drink would react in such a small stomach.  
  
Oscar watched the surface of the soda fizz, throwing up tiny droplets as the bubbles escaped the liquid. He had never seen soda from so close. He hadn't realized it was so active. He decided to take Sam's advice, throwing the bottlecap of sugary liquid one more skeptical glance before he focused on the pizza.  
  
The smell alone had his stomach pining for it. Oscar shifted so he sat cross legged instead of the way he'd curled up. While he certainly felt hungry, he knew there was more than he could eat in one sitting. It was rare indeed for him to see so much food all in one place, and this had just been freely offered to him.  
  
"Th-thanks, Dean," he said, making sure to offer the human his gratitude for this much generosity. Dean smiled reassuringly back at him in reply. Then, he pulled his bag onto his lap and opened it, rummaging through his few supplies.  
  
He drew out his knife, which had once been the blade of a pencil sharpener. Some electrical tape wrapped around one end provided a makeshift handle. It was too dull to cut even his skin, but it was more than enough to cut away a more reasonable portion of pizza. He left the knife lying on the napkin and took the food in both hands with a look of awe lingering on his face.  
  
The first bite had his eyes wide and his senses almost overwhelmed by flavor. He'd never had anything so strong before. Oscar put a hand in front of his mouth while he chewed, a look of sheer surprise on his face. Once the bite was gone he had to exclaim "I didn't know food could be  _this_  good!"  
  
Dean arched an eyebrow as he sat himself back down on the floor, electing for a seat where he wouldn’t automatically loom over the new guy. “You didn’t?” Even when they were low on funds, he usually managed to scrounge up something for Sam that had flavor… even something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “Well, we’ll have to fix that.” He sent Oscar a grin, glad to see him finally starting to relax. The kid even offered a faint, shy smile back before returning to his pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone agrees on this part as far as comments and prompts are concerned. Smol Oz must be fed. Get him all the foods, Dean! Pizza and chocolate and numms.
> 
> If anyone wants to see pics of Sam and Dean from this time, the tumblr had screencaps from the show. Alternately, you can go watch "Bad Boys," which was placed while they were 10 and 14.


	4. Don't You Have Supplies?

Sam edged forward, peering curiously at the small knife the kid had used. “I’ve got a knife, too,” he said. He touched at the dull blade with a hand, nudging it to the side before picking it up. The electrical tape felt thick and rubbery under his hands as he examined the small blade. Compared to the knife he’d gotten from Dean for his birthday that year, the edge was dull and worn. Sam’s remained sharp and glinted silver in the light. He had it tucked away in his jacket at all times ever since being cursed. He didn’t want to risk being separated from the handcrafted weapon. It was his protection, and it was reliable. Just like Dean.  
  
Oscar glanced up, but finished off his bite of food before trying to answer. It was kind of funny to him that Sam looked so interested in the knife. It was a pretty basic tool, after all. Just slapped together out of what Oscar's mother could find so he could have a knife in case he needed it.  
  
"It's good to have one," he said. "But ... where do you keep it? Don't you have other supplies? Where's your climbing rope?" Oscar couldn't hold it in any longer. He had to know how Sam could be comfortable without his supplies close by. He couldn't climb anywhere very well without a rope of some kind, and surviving at this size was practically based on climbing.  
  
Climbing and sneaking around. But Sam had only been this size for a month. Maybe he spent so much time with Dean that he'd never even  _needed_  a climbing rope before. "Do you ... d'you know how? To climb a rope?"  
  
“I, ah…” Sam faltered under the unexpected onslaught of questions, caught off guard by how intent Oscar was on them. “I've climbed a rope before!” he protested, focusing on defending himself. “They had ropes to climb in gym class when I was in school!” He'd even managed to set one of the class records getting to the top. With the knots set in the rope, it was an easy climb compared to some trees he'd found while hiking with Bobby and Dean to learn tracking skills.  
  
Sam pulled his knife out of his jacket to show Oscar. “Dean made me a sheath to hide it with, before I was, y’know, cursed. He made the knife, too, without any help, for my birthday this year. Good thing, too. I had it on me when I got attacked, so I'm not defenseless.”  
  
Oscar admired the knife. The metal was shinier than anything he'd ever seen up close, and the craftsmanship on it was obviously far better than anything he or anyone he knew could have made. It figured that it was shrunk down from human size; only humans really had the resources to make something so artfully. Oscar didn't even need to glance at his own cobbled-together knife to know how shabby it looked in comparison to Sam's knife.  
  
He ate some more of the pizza, his stomach demanding the food now that he had it in an amount he could indulge in. He didn't have to measure this out, because more was sitting right in front of him if he wanted. Oscar might actually learn what it felt like to be  _full._  
  
"That's a really nice knife," he finally said, tilting his head to get another angle on the shiny metal. It was an understatement. The knife Sam showed off was the nicest Oscar had ever seen. But something was still missing.  
  
"If you don't climb, how do you get everywhere? What if you wanted to get to the dresser? Or anywhere?"  
  
Sam put his knife back in his jacket. The cool metal slid along the sheath with a  _snick_. “Well, Dean helps me,” he said shyly. He glanced up at his brother, offering him a faint smile knowing Dean was listening to every word. It was hard on both of them. If he was alone in a room, he could be stranded on a table until someone remembered to check on him. It was a scary thought, and Sam counted himself lucky to have Dean around. He was only rarely left on his own.  
  
Another scary thought, though, was being down on the ground. Sam hadn’t been down there since shrinking, and a shudder went up his spine. Seeing the world from the table or the bed was bad enough; dark shadows loomed overhead and everything that used to be normal was now colossal and out of reach. Down on the floor, it would be a thousand times worse. Normal, everyday items would dwarf him, and he wouldn’t even reach over Dean’s ankle. It was easier to pretend life was normal from a higher surface.  
  
“Isn’t it scary down there?” Sam asked Oscar. “I’ve never gone on the floor. I’d be afraid of running into spiders or mice, and…” He trailed off, not wanting to say he’d be afraid of his own big brother down there.  
  
But he would, and his small heart fluttered at the thought of seeing their father from that perspective.  
  
Oscar's cheeks turned a little pink at the question. He was sheepish again, but not enough to hide what was on his mind. "W-well ... I think it's kinda scary out in the rooms no matter how high up I am," he admitted. And it was true. Even without terror of Dean overwhelming him, Oscar was still nervous outside the walls.  
  
Out here there was so much space around him. There were not enough places to hide. He was exposed, in view of any human that might come in and decide to grab him. He'd learned well enough that his legs weren't long enough to carry him away from a determined human. He'd be caught just like he'd been caught between two hands and dragged into the air at incredible speeds.  
  
"But, you wouldn't need to worry about mice," he added as an afterthought. "Spiders are  _awful_  but mice are nice. They're soft and warm and I even know one that lets me hug her sometimes."  
  
"Really?" Sam asked, his eyes wide as he listened to the younger boy. "I always thought that animals like that would be dangerous. I mean, they're all so big now. And I'm..." Sam wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them close at the reminder of how small he was.  
  
He was only vaguely aware of Dean putting a hand next to him on the bed supportively. There was no way for Dean to  _really_  know what it was like for Sam, being so small, but he tried his best. A finger gently touched Sam's shoulder.  
  
"So..." Sam started hesitantly, curious all over again at the thought of having the freedom to go where he wanted to again, "you can climb all the way up to a table? All by yourself?" He wouldn't have to bother Dean all the time if he could get himself around the room. Even after just a month small, the reliance on Dean was wearing thin. He'd do anything to be able to go wherever he wanted to, without having to defend his actions against his larger family members, no matter that they meant well for the most part. Dean more so than John.  
  
Oscar nodded, glad for something to focus on other than the hand that settled so near. It was amazing that Sam was actually  _used_  to that. To a fingertip bigger than his head settling on his shoulder supportively. He and Oscar had such a different view on human hands. To Oscar, they were the ultimate danger, worse than spiders or rats or traps. To Sam, they were his safety and his lifeline in a world he'd been tossed into without warning or preparation.  
  
Oscar brushed his hands off on the piece of napkin, making sure any grease from the pizza was gone before he sat back again. He pulled his bag onto his lap once more and dug through it. After shoving aside a shard of a potato chip he'd found, he drew out his own lifeline. A closed safety pin with dark thread tied to one end and coiled around it was his climbing hook, and it was Oscar's best tool for his mobility.  
  
"I use this," he explained. Eager to show off the grappling hook he'd made (one of his first ones ever), he hastily uncoiled the thread and let it pool in his lap. With a minor grunt of effort, he pushed on the pin to unclasp it and it sprang open. The metal, once shiny, barely gleamed at them in the light.  
  
"I'm pretty sure the thread's long enough to reach the table," he mumbled as an aside, glancing down at the pile of black thread by his legs.  
  
"Oo, cool," Sam said, fascinated. He inched forward, picking up a piece of the thread to run it through his fingers. It was thick enough to double as rope for him or Oscar, and he could imagine climbing up it just like he'd done in gym class. "You've  _got_  to show me sometime!"  
  
"No  _way_  he can climb with just that," Dean said in disbelief. He leaned over the other two, peering curiously down at the safety pin on Oscar's lap. "It'll slip off the table before you get a foot off the ground and you'll fall!"  
  
Sam rolled his eyes dramatically. "Just because  _you're_  afraid of heights doesn't mean everyone else is,  _Dean,_ " he pointed out. "I can probably  _still_  climb higher than you in a tree no matter what size I am."  
  
Oscar angled his face upward while Dean looked down at them. He could swear he felt a faint breeze with every word the human spoke. He was so  _big_ , and his face eclipsed much of the room beyond him. Oscar tensed up from intimidation, but didn't bolt like he almost wanted to. He had to keep reminding himself of what Sam told him.  
  
 _He's a nice human. Not gonna grab. He's Sam's brother. He gave me pizza._  
  
Not surprisingly, it was the memory of Dean giving him food that jolted Oscar out of his concerns. He frowned indignantly at Dean and held up the safety pin to show it off more clearly. "I-I can too! I do it all the time!" he boasted, though it was a slight exaggeration. He only got up on the table on a few occasions, but he wasn't about to explain that.  
  
"I guess you'll just have to  _prove_  it then, won't you," Dean said teasingly. He caught a glare sent his way from Sam's seat. "What? He said he  _could,_  I just wanna see it!" He didn't mention the fact that he thought it must be awesome to be able to scale furniture like that. It would be like Oscar was a two inch ninja, sneaking into places they'd never expect.  
  
Sam shoved at his hand. " _You're_  just jealous," he said dryly. "You wish you could climb like that."  
  
Dean lightly poked back, nudging Sam enough to make him tumble over onto the cover. "I'm not the  _only_  one that can't scale up a table, pint-size."  
  
Sam batted his hand away, grumpily sitting back up on the bed while he tried to nonchalantly brush himself off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Sam, you don't have supplies for climbing? How do you get from place to place? How even?
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox! brothersapart.tumblr.com
> 
> Next chapter updates November 30th.


	5. Hershey Kisses

Oscar's eyes were wide after the exchange. Dean may have poked Sam hard enough to knock him over, but there was definitely a careful edge to every movement he made with his hand so close to his  _little_  little brother. It wasn't a gentleness he would have thought possible from a human, just from how big they were and what his mom always told him.  
  
Even when Dean had scooped Oscar off the ground, he hadn't actually been that rough with him. He may have trapped the much smaller kid and hoisted him up quickly, but he hadn't squashed Oscar in his hands. Oscar had expected it every second he’d been trapped, but it never happened.  
  
Clearly Dean's hands were safer than they looked.  
  
He recovered from the shock, holding his safety pin closer to his chest. A challenge still hung in the air, and Oscar was sorely tempted to answer it. After all, he really  _could_  climb very well on his pin and thread. It was kind of a skill that was imperative for him to have, making it all the more surprising that Sam couldn't do it.  
  
While he stifled a yawn with the back of his hand, he got an idea.  
  
"Um, I could show you how to do it sometime, Sam. If you wanna see," he offered, holding up his own pin to indicate what he meant. He could do his best to teach Sam how to get around like he did. "But I should maybe go home. I-if I can ..." His voice became a little timid again. He didn't  _think_  they'd stop him from leaving, but Dean very much could. It was better to be sure.  
  
"If you  _have_  to go," Sam said, disappointed his new friend would be leaving. "But don't forget your chocolate!"  
  
He picked himself off the bed and dashed over to where the bag of Hershey Kisses was sitting. His overenthusiastic sprint came to a crashing halt when his foot caught on the edge of the bag, sending him sprawling inside with the silver-wrapped candies. Oscar remained where Sam had left him and had to hide his amused grin behind his hands.  
  
Dean tried to hide a snort and failed. "Good job, pipsqueak." He reached over and plucked out a squirming Sam who had his arms wrapped around one of the chocolates. It was easily the size of his chest, and he clutched it tight as he was lifted up into the air.   
  
Oscar’s amusement fell away into shock at the sight of how unbothered Sam was by this. The other kid barely even flinched when a thumb and a finger, both as big as he was if not bigger, closed around his waist.  
  
They made it look  _normal._ These two didn't act like humans at all.  
  
Dean gently placed Sam in his other hand and held him out next to Oscar. "I think you're gonna need some practice before you go running any races on these beds," he snickered.  
  
Sam stuck out the candy he'd acquired, offering it to Oscar while he made a face up at Dean. "Come back soon?" he asked with wide and hopeful eyes.  
  
Oscar's eyes were wide as well, but with awe and surprise instead. The bundle Sam held out was enormous. The silvery foil glittered at him, and its paper tab at the top was slightly crumpled from Sam falling on it. That was a  _lot_  of chocolate. Oscar could even smell a sweet aroma drifting off the candy, and his intrigue only grew. When he got it home, he might have to try just a little piece before bed.  
  
He got to his feet hastily, closing up his safety pin and gathering the bunched-up thread as he did. "I'll come back," he promised. If nothing else, he had to help Sam learn how to climb a rope. He couldn't fathom someone going around at their size not knowing how to climb a rope. "I can bring you a pin to climb with."  
  
He took the offered candy in his arms, raising his eyebrows at the weight. It was huge to him, and he had some difficulty shifting it to just one arm. With a hand free, he tried to shove things out of the way in his well-worn cloth bag, but no matter what he did there simply wasn't room in there. The fabric wouldn't stretch at all, and he didn't want to take out anything else he'd found.  
  
Oscar's face warmed with a sheepish look yet again and he closed the bag. He shifted the candy in his arms again, one hand still clutching his pin and thread. His mouth twisted into a thoughtful frown for a second as he figured out how he'd get down; he could lower the candy, or probably even toss it over, and then climb. Those were the best options that presented themselves. He inched towards the edge of the bed, craning his neck to try to peek over the side without getting too close.  
  
Dean watched Oscar edge towards the side of the bed and felt a familiar jolt of worry inside when he saw just how high up the little guy would be if he fell. He felt that same worry with Sam every time his small brother wandered close to the edge of a table or bed. No matter how many times Sam said he was fine. Dean couldn’t imagine how much stress he’d live in if Sam ever started trying to  _climb_  around the room.  
  
Shifting so the hand holding Sam was close to his chest, Dean held his other hand out in front of Oscar and offered it to the little kid. “Here, hop on,” he suggested. “I mean, you wouldn’t be up there without me, right? I can at least give you a ride to where you want to go.”  
  
Oscar leaned away from the offered hand as though it were putting off a withering heat. It could spring up and surround him in seconds if Dean wanted to catch him again. The fact that he  _didn't_  might never cease to amaze Oscar. In a world bigger than he could fathom, surrounded by people that outsized him by over twenty times, he'd found a human that didn't want to take advantage of his size. That actually  _helped_  him.  
  
With that realization, the frighteningly huge world seemed just a little smaller, more manageable.  
  
"Th-thanks, Dean," he replied shyly, deciding he should give him the benefit of the doubt. Sam stood easily on the other hand, looking perfectly at ease. Protected.  _Safe._  
  
A few shuffling, hesitant steps later, and Oscar took his first step onto a human hand by himself. He hugged the Hershey kiss and his safety pin a little closer as his cloth shoes sank a little bit into the skin. He wobbled a little before making it to the center of Dean's palm. There he stood very rigid in hopes that he wouldn't fall off the side.  
  
"I-I wanna get to the vent," he announced, nodding towards the wall where Dean had caught him. "Um. Please," he added with an embarrassed smile, remembering his manners.  
  
"No problem, Oz," Dean said reassuringly. He slowly got up from his crouch on the floor. Both hands were brought together against his chest for while he walked. He'd learned with Sam that it wasn't easy to stay standing on a hand while that hand's owner was taking a walk. Sam had tumbled into his palm more than once, and with the hands braced against his chest there was less of a chance that either of the kids would slip off the edge.  
  
The moment the hands were close together, Sam hopped over to the one that Oscar was standing on. Dean took advantage of a free hand and curled it around the edge like he'd normally do with Sam. From there it was only a few steps before he was kneeling by the vent.  
  
Dean flattened his hand on the ground for Oscar and peered into the dark tunnel. "You live down here?" he asked curiously. His voice echoed back at him from the depths of the motel.  
  
Oscar stumbled off of Dean's hand, releasing a sigh to be on solid ground again before he addressed the question. He stood near the dark entrance to the motel's ventilation system with the chocolate still clutched in his arms and glanced between Sam and Dean both. He'd avoided the subject before because he wasn't supposed to talk about where his folk lived. He'd always been told not to, but he got a feeling that even if Dean  _wanted_  to go looking for other people, Sam wouldn't let him.  
  
He shuffled one foot on the thick carpet fibers and nodded. "I gotta walk a little ways first. But my house is in the walls. It's not safe to sleep out in the rooms and it's too scary to live outside." He looked over his shoulder into the depths of the walls. A distant metallic creak echoed out of the vent from the building settling. It was a familiar sound, more comforting than ominous.  
  
He angled his gaze back up at Dean. "Please don't tell other humans? If someone came looking we'd all be in trouble." And not just Oscar and the others in the  _Knight's Inn._  Anyone that might live in other buildings' walls would be at risk if word got out. They were defenseless, just trying to get by in a looming world.  
  
Dean stopped trying to peer into the dark entrance. “We won’t tell anyone,” he swore.  
  
Sam picked it up from there. “Dad says it’s dangerous for anyone else to know about me, because I’m so small now, and you don’t have Dean and Dad watching out for you. We won’t get you in trouble.” He grinned widely down at Oscar from his raised platform on Dean’s palm. “I can’t wait to see you again! We just have to go to school tomorrow, but after that we’ll be in the room the rest of the night.”  
  
Dean pursed his lips as he lifted Sam back up to his chest. “Y’know, we could always just skip…” he lead in.  
  
“ _Dean,_  you said you’d go! Otherwise I’d have no way to get to class!”  
  
Dean let out a sigh. “Yeah, I know. You can’t blame a guy for trying.” Being stuck in class for most of the day with a bunch of kids he’d never see again after a month wasn’t exactly the highlight of his life. Sam, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to get enough, to Dean’s regret. Especially since without him, there was no way for the downsized boy to even attend.  
  
His eyes flicked over to Oscar. “You watch out for yourself, okay?”  
  
Oscar nodded emphatically. "I will," he assured them, shifting the huge piece of chocolate in his arms. They had no way of knowing this, but it was going to be the most food he'd brought home all at once in a very long time.  
  
Oscar wasn't sure what to call his luck, so he settled on "interesting." Capture by a human could have gone a lot worse than it had. He could be trapped in a cage or a bag by now, or he could even have been carried off to be shown to even more gigantic, scary humans.  
  
Instead, it seemed he'd made a couple friends. One of whom was a gigantic teenager that refused to get his name right.  
  
"I'll come back tomorrow. After ... school." The word fell hesitantly from his mouth, considering he'd never had occasion to say it. Or even think about it, really. Oscar knew his numbers well enough, and he could read decently well, and it was all he really needed. It was all he really had  _access_  to, living in the walls of a motel.  
  
With that, he turned and pushed his chocolate through the vent before climbing through himself. His tiny frame easily fit, and in seconds he'd gathered up the Hershey Kiss and dashed away down a wide hallway formed by the metallic air conditioning.   
  
His footsteps hardly made a sound as they receded, fading into the motel's murky depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oscar has a lump of chocolate the size of his torso. I would like to have chocolate this size as well P:
> 
> Wee sweetie was afraid he wouldn't be allowed to leave T^T
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox.
> 
> Next chapter December 2nd.


	6. Salt Lines

Dean watched, mouth slightly agape as the tiny form of Oscar actually  _fit_  between the slits of the vent. He now knew exactly where the kid had been running to when he’d been snatched up off the ground. Trying to get out of the room before he got captured or worse… and all because Dean was a human, and therefore dangerous.  
  
There was a slight trickle of guilt inside him as he stood again, staring down at the vent that was embedded in the wall. A month ago, he would have called people like that impossible, or the scattered ravings of a hunter who’d had one too many beers at the bar. Now, he not only knew it was possible, he was holding his  _own brother_  in one hand, and staring after a second person that he’d managed to terrify during the first few minutes of meeting him.  
  
“Do ya think he’ll come back?” came a small voice, pulling him out of his thoughts.  
  
Dean glanced down at the ten year old boy that was standing in his hand and forced out a grin despite his uneasy thoughts. Sam deserved a friend his own size. “Of course he will. He was excited to meet  _you,_  wasn’t he?”  
  
Sam crossed his arms and hugged them close, making himself smaller on the hand. “I hope so. He was fun. And can you imagine living in the walls like that? Or being able to climb wherever you wanted? I wouldn’t have gotten stuck up on that desk when dad made you help him with the car!”  
  
Dean winced at the memory as he walked the few steps back to the bed. John had insisted his older son help him with repairs, and in his urgency Sam had gotten stranded on his own for over an hour. He’d curled up into a ball by the end of it, unsettled and afraid of the huge room arching overhead. Dean swore never to let his brother get trapped like that again after he saw how terrified Sam was when they got back in. He’d swept the small form of his brother up into a hand and hadn’t left his side the rest of the day, doing his best to help Sam’s shudders go down.   
  
Helplessness wasn’t something any of them had ever expected to befall anyone in their family. At least when it came to fighting monsters, there was always a weak spot. You just had to find it. But Sam was too small to get himself around even the simplest room without help, and could get attacked or snatched up by anyone or any _thing_.  
  
“Oz is definitely a pro at it,” Dean conceded, wondering how long the kid had been wandering their room before he’d got himself noticed. The little guy looked younger than Sam, and much shorter and scrawnier. There might be as much as a half inch difference in their height. It didn’t sound like much, but considering Sam barely topped out at 2.6 inches, it was a huge step up for them.  
  
Dean let Sam step down from his hand onto the bed, and put the controller down next to him. “Find us something good to watch, okay?” he said with a smile. Both of their shows had ended during Oscar’s discovery, unnoticed in the excitement of a person Sam’s size.  
  
Sam bounced eagerly over to the remote, excited about having the control over the television. It almost never happened with the way Dean usually claimed it for himself. Though he caved to Sam’s suggestions more often than not, hating the fact that if he wanted to, he didn’t have to even acknowledge that Sam _wanted_  to watch something different.   
  
He never wanted his brother to be helpless with him.  
  
With the screen flickering in the background, Dean dug out John’s journal from under his own pillow. The leather bound book was snug next to the colt that his father had given him for protection, just one of the many weapons the fourteen year old boy had learned to use when he was younger. Even Sam had used a gun growing up more than once, but only at shooting ranges. And now Sam was working on his knife skills since a gun was out of the question until they tracked down the witch and broke his curse.  
  
Dean sat at the one table in the room, shoving aside the remains of their pizza box as he read through the journal. He’d never chanced across anything about people so small, but he wanted to be certain after running into the little guy that had crept his way into their room. He was considering putting a line of salt across the vent, just in case there was anything lurking about that would take advantage of that weak point in the room. Before watching the kid slip through the slats in the vent, he’d never thought of it being used to get into their room, since not even Dean’s slim frame would fit, never mind a man like John. But it was better to be safe than sorry.  
  
Dean didn’t move from the table even after Sam found an episode of Batman playing, a clearly hopeful expression shot over his shoulder towards his big brother.  
  


* * *

  
Later that night, Dean crawled into his bed, slipping the journal back under his pillow. Nothing jumped out at him, exactly the way he’d expected, and he had no clearer idea about where a person like Oscar came from. The kid had been in their room all alone, risking capture for  _crumbs_  he found on the floor. He’d never even had food as simple as a slice of pizza.  
  
Dean resolved to himself that if the kid came back, he’d be trying more than just some pizza. No one could go without knowing the wonders of hamburgers and pie.  
  
Sam was flopped on the unused pillow on their bed. He’d wrapped himself up in one of his own shirts from before being cursed, now big enough to serve as a blanket the size of a house for the ten year old. His breathing was even and steady as Dean sank into the mattress nearby. He didn’t even budge when his older brother wrapped a strong arm around his pillow to instinctively draw it close. Even in sleep, he didn’t want Sam far away. The salt lines across the doors, windows and now vent might not stop a determined assailant and Dean would always make sure he was there for Sam.  
  
Both brothers slept peacefully that night.  
  


* * *

  
Oscar made his way stealthily through the vent, his cloth shoes hardly whispering against the cold metal. Even though he used a thicker cloth for his shoes, the metal vents always stole the warmth right out of his tiny feet. He tried to move quickly, but the bundle of chocolate in his arms was cumbersome enough to slow him down.  
  
Not that he'd ever complain. The sweet smell clinging to the foil-wrapped parcel made Oscar's mouth water every time he noticed it. Even though his stomach was still full from the pizza, he couldn't wait to get home to try a piece.  
  
Several feet down the vent, Oscar slowed to a stop and stooped to put down the Hershey Kiss. He could see in the near nonexistent lighting in the wall after growing up in these conditions, but suddenly he wondered if even Sam would notice the loose panel of metal on the wall. Oscar worked his tiny fingers into a crack and hauled back on the piece of worn out metal that would barely fit an adult.  
  
An average adult, anyway. Oscar, being young and very small anyway, fit easily through the opening, following after the chocolate he pushed through ahead of him.  
  
It was only a slight step down to the dusty floor between the walls. Oscar gathered up his chocolate, nudged the panel closed again with a foot, and continued on towards home. He had to backtrack a little, walking alongside the huge metal corridor of the air conditioning. From the outside, it looked like a blocky metal snake, winding its way through the walls.  
  
Oscar rounded a support beam and found his turn, heading down one more passage within the walls closer to home. It wasn't far from there.  
  
When he finally pushed aside the block of wood that was his door, he was noticing how exhausted he really was. Getting caught by a human could really wear a kid out. He left the chocolate just inside the doorway as he sealed it back up, thinking maybe he'd have to wait for the following day to try the candy.  
  
"I'm home," he announced to the front room.  
  
As usual, no answer came.  
  
Oscar went about putting the chocolate and his other meager findings in his pantry, which was really just a tall shelf with a bit of tattered cloth curtaining it. He had no chance of reaching the higher shelves, so he shoved the Hershey's onto the lowest one.  
  
He left his bag on the table, which was a plastic lid from some container propped up on miscellaneous found items, including a smaller block of wood, some stacked bottlecaps, and a yellowish, empty pill bottle. There were only two chairs, both of them spools of sewing thread. Only one of them still had any string wrapped around it. The only other furniture was a ring box that served as a nice comfy chair with its foam setting.  
  
Most of these details, Oscar knew from memory better than sight. At this hour, no light was leaking through the one crack in the far wall of the small room. Oscar had known this home for his whole life. He'd spent a lot of time soaking in the details of it when there was more light.  
  
There were only two other rooms to the home. Both were just big enough to hold the beds contained within them. Oscar went into his mother's room, where a big piece of foam and folded fabric made up the mattress. Every blanket he owned was stacked on top of it, and Oscar snuggled up underneath them for warmth, making sure his cold feet had extra cloth wrapped around them.  
  
The smell of her had long since faded from the bed. But Oscar had gotten used to sleeping there, and hadn't bothered to go back to his own bed. It was more comforting to rest there, in his nest of blankets.  
  
"Goodnight," he muttered to the empty home.  
  
Oscar slept peacefully that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we all know the truth about Oscar's family...
> 
> Can I adopt him now?
> 
> Next Chapter: December 7th


	7. Lets See Whatcha Got

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_  
  
Dean groaned, burying his head under the covers at the piercing noise of the alarm clock in the room. He sleepily reached for the nightstand, trying to hit the snooze button to shut the thing up. It only took him about three attempts, but eventually he felt the red button under his hand click off.  
  
He relaxed again, slipping back into sleep.  
  
Or at least, he  _tried_  to slip back into sleep.  
  
“Deeeaaann!”  
  
Sam, it seemed, had other plans for him.  
  
“Go ‘way,” came the muffled reply as Dean tried to cover his head up with his pillow.  
  
He felt a small tickle along his arm and froze in place, afraid to knock Sam off even when he was being the world’s most annoying little brother. Sam hopped over to his back, and shoved at the back of his head.   
  
“C’ _mon_ , we’re gonna be late!” Sam whined. “You gotta get up!”  
  
Dean let out another groan and sleepily reached for Sam. It took two attempted grabs before his brother was squirming in his hand. “It’s too  _early,_ ” Dean mumbled as he set Sam back on his own pillow. “Ten more minutes.”  
  
He flopped back down in bed.  
  
What barely felt like two seconds later, two miniscule hands shoved at his cheek.  
  
“Get up, jerk.”  
  
Green eyes flicked open and peeked up at Sam. From where he was mashing his face into the bed, Dean was actually looking  _up_ at the younger boy for once. “But I’m  _tired,_ ” he whined, dropping a hand over Sam to keep him in place.  
  
Sam kicked at him in annoyance and tried to push the hand off. “You promised!”  
  
Dean heaved a world-weary sigh and pulled himself up at last. Sam bounced to his feet as the older boy let him up, undaunted by the sight of Dean looming overhead. “You owe me, pint-size.”  
  
Sam made a face. “I owe you because I made sure you didn’t sleep through the alarm? Nice try, jerk.”  
  
“Bitch.” Dean’s response was reflexive. He stretched out his arms and brushed a hand through his short, spiky hair. “Whatever. Let's get this show on the road.”

* * *

  
The school they’d been temporarily enrolled in was only a short, ten minute walk down the road. Dean didn’t bother bringing his backpack with him, no matter how much Sam nagged. All he needed was his one notebook, and he only had  _that_  with him because Sam would never let the subject drop if he didn’t at least  _try_  to take notes in class. And Dean was fairly certain he’d only won the argument about leaving the backpack behind because Sam wouldn’t be able to sit in the hood of his hoodie if he brought it. For being two and a half inches tall, Sam was persistent.  
  
The thick, dark fabric formed a comfortable hammock for Sam to sit in. From there, he was completely concealed. Any movements he made were softened by the folds of cotton around him, and people would just assume it was reacting to a movement from Dean. It was the safest place for him to sit, since the side pockets in a crowd of people were always in danger of being brushed up against.  
  
It was also convenient because Sam could pull himself up to Dean’s shoulder if he needed to. He was cautious every time, keeping a sharp eye out for any kids or teachers that caught sight of him up there. So far, nothing had come of it.  
  
During a quiz, he could help Dean with the answers if he got the chance. Even though the coursework was a few grades ahead of where Sam had been at, he’d picked it up fast. There was nothing that could keep him down, not even losing his height. He’d bounced back better than anyone could have hoped.  
  
Dean had to hide a grin at that as he sat down into one of the chairs near the back of the room. He caught the eye of a girl sitting nearby out of habit, and sent her a winning smile.  
  
He was as hopeful as Sam that Oscar would come back that night. After all, Sam deserved to have friends his own size again. He’d always been more the type to want to fit in during school.  
  
Now, he didn’t even have the option.

* * *

  
The day could not have dragged by slower for Oscar. He'd slept in that morning, unusually tired after his misadventure. From there, things passed by in a crawl.  
  
He tried the tip of the chocolate block. It was so delicious he almost laughed out loud from the flavor. And he had a whole block all to himself! He had indulged in another piece in the afternoon, too. It was too good to pass up.  
  
He tried to do his normal tasks for the day. He had some weaving he needed to work on. He wasn't as good at it as his mom had been, so it was slow going for Oscar. But he was distracted through the whole task, and found he had to go back and redo a lot of his work a couple times.  
  
When the day dipped into the later afternoon, Oscar finally decided it was time to go back and try to see those brothers again. He would wait at the vent; he could always change his mind if he got intimidated. With that self-assurance, he put his bag over his shoulder (this time with a second safety pin and thread grappling hook in it) and set out.  
  
When Oscar hefted himself out of the vent into their room, he wasn't expecting to step in a huge pile of salt. He gasped in surprise and stumbled, falling to a sitting position on the carpet. He frowned, puzzled by the small white grains that had scattered a little from his tripping on them.  
  
"What ...?"

* * *

  
Dean heard a sound in the room behind him, and went to turn around and see what it was.  
  
"Hey!" Sam said, indignant. "I'm not doing  _all_  the homework today!" He brandished the small pencil stub they'd confiscated from the school for him to use, easily thicker than his arms and as tall as his knee. The pink eraser displayed more signs of wear than the normal sized pencil that was curled into Dean's larger hands. It was easy to tell which brother did the most schoolwork.  
  
"Chill, dude. I thought I heard..." Dean trailed off as he spotted something small and moving down by the vent. This time it was easy to suppress his instinctive jumpiness, knowing who was down there. "Hey, Oz!"  
  
That was enough to ground Sam's tirade to a halt. He dashed across the table, reaching the edge where he could see all the way to the ground and didn't have to worry about Dean's towering chest blocking out sight of the floor. He gave an excited wave when he spotted the other kid. "Oscar! You came back!" He was almost bouncing on his heels in excitement, the homework temporarily forgotten.  
  
Oscar got to his feet hastily, wishing he hadn't fallen over first thing. At least neither brother seemed to have noticed in the wake of greeting him. Both brothers were across the room from him, and so he couldn't  _hear_  Sam's words, but he certainly got the idea. It brightened his face a little to see that they were actually happy he'd come back. Oscar hadn't had anyone around to care whether he stayed or went in quite a long time.  
  
He brushed a few stray grains of salt from his pants before glancing around the room. He had checked it once before exiting the vent, but he always had to be doubly sure he knew where  _all_  of the humans were in a room.  
  
With that out of the way, he waved back at Sam. Oscar was just as happy to see the other kid. He didn't have anyone at all near him, let alone someone his age. The others living in the walls stayed all the way on the other side of the motel, and Oscar didn't know how to get there by himself.  
  
He couldn't help but notice that Dean still towered over him, even sitting down. At least this was a human he already knew. He was able to remind himself of how nice Dean was the day before, and actually began approaching the table.  
  
Crossing the room was a nerve wracking experience. Oscar almost never let himself be out in the middle of the floor, and for good reason. It was usually the best place to get seen or stepped on. The furniture loomed and the open space all around mocked him with how exposed he was. He ended up jogging to make it most of the way, getting himself near one of the table legs before stopping to catch his breath and rest.  
  
He hoped he hadn't looked too scared while he was out on the open floor. Even standing near the table leg, with Dean's chair and thus his own legs so close by, wasn't as daunting. Those huge shoes weren't as big as the daunting uncertainty from being exposed like that.  
  
Dean and Sam both watched the younger kid cross the motel room floor with curious eyes. In all the time since Sam had been cursed, he'd never risked - or been  _allowed_  to risk - crossing the floor on his own. Aside from how intimidating it all would be from down on the ground, it was dangerous.  
  
All it would take was one misstep from any of the people that knew about his curse. Dean, Bobby, John... it didn't matter. If they had one moment of inattention, it would all be over for the youngest Winchester. At the very least, he'd end up with a broken arm or leg, if not crushed.  
  
So he kept to the tabletops and desks, nightstands and coffee tables that Dean helped him reach. At least in Dean's hands he felt  _safe,_  a feeling that was in short supply at under three inches in height.  
  
Dean leaned over once the other kid stopped to take a breath. "Need a hand?" he offered, reaching out the way he always did for Sam.  
  
Oscar straightened in a surprised flinch. A hand coming his way, looking bigger and bigger with each inch between them lost, set his heart leaping into his throat. The logic reminding him that Dean had been nice to him the day before was drowned out by sheer startled reflex. He couldn't help it, and he stumbled backwards, falling over again.   
  
"Wait, wait," he called, a startled hand held up to stop Dean from scooping him off the floor. Once he was certain he had the older kid's attention, he dug into his bag and drew out his safety pin. "I can get up there myself, remember?" he pointed out, holding up the pin.  
  
Oscar stood himself up once more, straightening his rumpled shirt and shaking his arms out to make sure his sleeves were out of the way. While he uncoiled the thread, he looked up at Dean and said, "You said I'd need to prove it and I'm gonna," he boasted, though his usual timidness still colored the claim. He could hardly believe he was planning to put himself in even easier reach of a human, but he wanted to get up there and see Sam again. At least for a little while.  
  
Dean drew back briefly in surprise, his eyes grazing over the safety pin held out in Oscar's hand. A completely ordinary object that was given new meaning held in the hands of a kid that barely stood two inches tall. The safety pin was almost half his height, after all. It was the same watching Sam wield his pencil stub while he worked out math problems on sheets of paper that dwarfed him.  
  
Dean sat back up, moving his chair back a few inches to give Oscar room to climb. "Let's see whatcha got," he challenged the younger kid. Sam squatted down near the edge of the table to watch as well, only a few inches away from Dean's relaxed arm.  
  
Oscar stared straight up, unfazed by the height he'd need to climb in order to prove his claim. He'd done it before, and it would be the same principle as climbing anything else. It was the highest structure he could climb, but that didn't bother him much either.  
  
The real challenge was having an audience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean venture to school while Oscar works on his chores. These three are adorable.
> 
> Next: December 9th


	8. On One Condition

Oscar stepped away from the leg of the table, finding a good spot on the edge so high above that he hoped to catch onto. He opened up his pin and held it at the ready in one hand, the thread coiled loosely in the other. It was a process he'd done many times, especially in the last year. He did his best to ignore the fact that a human was sitting  _right there._  
  
After a windup and a toss straight upwards, his safety pin sailed towards the edge of the table. It was a strong throw, stronger than anyone Oscar's size would appear capable of, and the pin was extra light. Even so, it glanced off the rim of the table and fell back down, much to Oscar's dismay (and embarrassment).  
  
He caught the pin in both hands, frowning at it while his cheeks and ears burned red. Without looking at Dean or Sam, he reared back to try again, this time with his tongue sticking out for concentration.  
  
The pin clattered to the tabletop, and with careful tugs Oscar was able to get it to catch on the edge, with the part opposite the point anchoring against the side. He hauled downwards on his thread to make sure the pin would hold. Then he began the climb.  
  
With the thread carefully secured between his feet and coiled partly around one leg, Oscar pulled himself hand over hand up the thread, the way only someone who'd been practicing for years could do. He was lightweight, making the process pretty fast, and it didn't take him long to get a foot off the ground.  
  
The higher he got, the more the thread seemed to sway. He knew it was because, in his peripheral vision, the ground was farther away and each movement meant a lot more care was needed. It was practically instinct to tighten up each motion so he could maintain his speed until he got his hands on the edge of the table and hauled himself over.  
  
As the ground receded beneath Oscar’s fabric shoes, Dean and Sam both leaned forward to watch, wide-eyed. Though both brothers had learned to climb at a young age, they’d never seen anything close to what the youngest kid in the room was attempting.  
  
For all intents and purposes, the table had transformed into a cliff that stretched over fifty feet up into the air. If the little guy was to slip and fall, he could easily break an arm or a leg, or twist his neck. Dean could feel his fingers twitch, aching to reach out and give him a hand… literally. Even just hovering his hand under the kid would be more reassuring while he watched.  
  
And Oscar wanted to teach this to Sam?  
  
Dean bit his lips, trying to hide his nerves as the boy passed the halfway mark, showing no sign of slowing down as he climbed straight up. Most humans would never attempt anything close to what Oscar was doing, and from what he’d said this was  _normal_ for him.  
  
After several more seconds of concentration, Oscar was within a foot of the top. He was careful as he closed the last few inches, knowing one wrong move could knock his pin loose. Finally, he grabbed the edge and hauled himself over it, kicking his legs.  
  
Oscar caught his breath and made sure he was clear of the edge of the table before getting to his feet. He grabbed his pin and closed it up, setting it on the edge of the table so he wouldn't trip on it or knock it down to the floor. He happened to have the spare for Sam in his bag, but he didn't want to risk forming a bad habit because of that.  
  
He turned a shy grin towards the two brothers and tentatively approached Sam. He was only a little out of breath from the exertion, his small chest rising and falling. "I said I could do it," he told them proudly, extremely pleased to have proven himself to a human of all people. "I'm surprised you never tried, Sam. You could probably throw a hook even farther than me, you look stronger."  
  
Sam shook his head, still amazed at what they’d seen. “I’ve  _never_  thrown anything that far up,” he said shyly. After all, the hook had reached the edge of the table all the way from the ground! That was like throwing something all the way to the top of a building from the ground floor.  
  
While they were greeting each other, Dean couldn’t resist plucking up the tiny safety pin that was left sitting by itself on the edge of the table. He examined it curiously, trying to see the knot that had been tied at the end. He gently pulled on it, testing the strength of the climbing implement. He was impressed at the use such a simple, everyday item had been put to.  
  
“So you made this yourself?” Dean asked, letting the thread slip through his fingers. It was only just long enough to reach the top of the table, making it easy for him to stretch out and look at the full length.  
  
Oscar glanced up and his eyes widened a little to see his safety pin in the human's hands. He had seen the movement in the corner of his eye, but he hadn't expected that Dean actually picked the essential tool up from where he'd left it.   
  
It looked so small in Dean's hands. If he were to put it in his pocket, he could almost lose the whole thing.  
  
He nodded sheepishly, wondering suddenly if his supplies looked particularly shabby to people used to having things tailor made for a certain function. Not slapped together out of other things. Even Oscar's knife was barely holding together compared to Sam's shrunken human one. "I made that one," he confirmed, looking at his bag thoughtfully.  
  
Remembering himself, he opened up the cloth container and drew out the spare he'd brought. The thread on it was wrapped around the pin securely, making it a neat little parcel, which he offered to Sam. "I made this one, too. It's an extra. If you want it."  
  
“Wow, really?” Sam asked, enamored at the idea of having his own way to climb up and down the furniture. He reached hesitantly out for it, touching the cool metal and running a finger up the side. It was lightweight and sturdy when he took it in hand, hefting it curiously to test out the weight. The thread felt coarse under his fingers, but he was beginning to adjust to the way the texture of items had changed with his curse.  
  
Dean’s eyebrows went up, and he put the other safety pin back down where he’d grabbed it from. “I don’t think you’re ready for that,” he said as he remembered how high up Oscar had looked as he scaled the furniture.  
  
Sam frowned, staring up at Dean as he held the safety pin and thread close to his chest. “But  _Dean,_  I won’t have to wait for you or dad to be around if I can climb like Oscar! And I won’t get  _stranded_  anywhere.” His eyes turned big and round at the thought.  
  
“Sam, it’s  _dangerous._  What if you slip? Dad’s gonna  _kill_  me if he finds out I let you climb like that!”  
  
Oscar shuffled over to pick up his own safety pin while the brothers argued, to try to keep himself out of it. He hadn't realized that his gift for Sam might not be taken so well by Dean. After all, climbing such great heights was just a necessity of life for Oscar. He'd grown up without a notion in his head for fear of heights. People their size couldn't afford it.  
  
But, as he coiled up the thread and looked back over his shoulder at the two of them, Sam the smaller brother trying his best to stand up to Dean, a towering human, something suddenly made sense. The two of them were still brothers, and always would be.  
  
But Sam had one foot in Oscar's world now, the world where everything towered over him and where being able to get around on his own would mean doing things that looked very risky to the humans. The humans didn't need to worry about the height of a table, because it was built for them, by other humans.  
  
Oscar inched back towards them to stand next to Sam, looking up at Dean. He was so much bigger than the two on the table that Oscar almost lost the nerve right then and there. He had to remind himself that if Sam could stand up to someone so huge, Oscar could, too.  
  
"W-well, Dean," he began, hating the way his voice shook. His standing-up-to-a-human skills could use some work, but at least he'd gotten started. He took a deep breath and continued. "Th-the whole  _point_  of m-me teaching Sam how is so he  _doesn't_  slip." He tucked his pin into his bag and wrung his hands while he worked out the next words.  
  
"It's dangerous to not be able to get around. If w-we get stuck somewhere and someone else comes in or an animal f-finds us it's all  _over,_ " he explained, reciting lessons he'd heard from an early age. Lessons Sam would need to take to heart if he was to survive.  
  
Oscar almost broke eye contact with those intense green eyes up above, but finished with "S-sometimes the person y-you're counting on to come back  _doesn't_  and you have to know what to do."  
  
Dean stared down at them both, a small scowl forming on his face at being teamed up on. But the look of hope on Sam’s face, the memory of how terrified his brother had been when he’d gotten stranded up on a table by himself… Dean could still remember those shudders in his hand when he cupped Sam to his chest… all coupled with Oscar’s determination that this was  _right_  and important…  
  
“ _Fine,_ ” he growled, giving in to the two younger kids. Sam’s face lit up as he buckled.  
  
“But only on  _one_  condition,” he said sternly, holding out a hand with a finger extended. “Non-negotiable.”  
  
There was a glow of hope on Sam’s face while he waited to find out what the condition was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Try not to intimidate Oz, Dean, geeze. He is smol. Don't scowl at him.
> 
> Next: December 14th


	9. A Reason to Hunt

It was no surprise when Sam agreed instantly to Dean’s stipulation. Then it came down to Oscar, and both brothers glanced over at him. Sam’s face was hopeful, his eyes wide at the thought of being able to climb around the room on his own. Dean’s face was trying to stay stern, but the sight of his smaller brother being so excited… more excited than he’d been since being cursed, was breaking through his normally tough facade.  
  
Oscar let out a breath, letting it take some tension with it. He'd actually stood up to a human. A  _human,_  someone big enough to pluck him up with just two fingers if he wanted to. Someone who could easily have taken the pin and thread away from Sam and made his decision final.  
  
Instead, he'd given them a condition on Sam's learning to climb.  
  
"You just ... you just wanna keep your hands under us while we're climbing?" he repeated, thinking it over. It would be kind of intimidating to have such big hands so nearby, hovering. But then again, it was a safety net Oscar had never had, and one that Sam might appreciate having at first. Tables and nightstands were  _high up._  
  
"Well I don't mind," he decided. He'd stood up to Dean enough, and didn't feel like pushing his luck. He really  _didn't_  mind, though he hoped Dean realized that eventually he'd have to let Sam climb on his own. He wasn't going to point that out just yet. After the scowl and stern looks had formed on the face up above him, Oscar was all out of boldness.  
  
Dean nodded sharply at that. “Good.” He glanced between them. “I’m holding you  _both_  to that,” he said, trying to keep up his stern facade. It was fading a little more each second. At the very least, he’d gotten them to agree to a spotter while Sam learned to climb. And Dean had no intention of just spotting Sam; Oscar was even smaller. If he slipped and fell, he could get badly hurt just trying to teach Sam. Dean would be there to catch him.  
  
Sam, who knew better than to take Dean  _completely_  serious at any time, hugged his safety pin and thread close to his chest. He was too excited to let his older brother’s worry get him down. “That means I get to climb around on my own!” He gave Oscar the biggest, happiest smile, showing off his teeth. “ _Thank_  you!”  
  
Oscar couldn't help but brighten, too. Sam's gratitude and hopeful outlook was infectious, and a shy smile spread over Oscar's face. "Of course, Sam. Someone's gotta teach you, after all." The other boy might be a little bit behind in learning such an essential skill, but Oscar was pretty sure he'd be able to make up for it. And at least they had Dean around to make sure no one fell. Even Oscar hadn't had that when he learned.  
  
He was excited to be able to help someone else pick up the skill. It would help Oscar sharpen his own ability, and it gave him a reason to keep coming back to visit the humans. He'd never had a friend before. Now, he might end up with two, if Dean really did approve of the idea of Oscar being Sam's teacher.  
  
"You said you never tried to throw anything so high? How far can you throw that pin?" he asked, curious. Oscar knew humans were stronger than he'd ever be able to accomplish. He wondered how strong Sam would be if he hadn't been shrunk down. Now, he had less strength to work with, but he'd have to make the most of it. "Maybe you should try it, just to see."  
  
Sam stared down at the pin in his hands. He took a moment to marvel over the fact that it was a  _safety pin_ , of all things, and it was almost the length of his arm. “ ‘Kay,” he said. He started to unravel the thread, letting it fall to the tabletop in coils near his feet.  
  
Dean leaned forward, pinching a bit of the thread between his fingers and held it up to his eyes. “Isn’t it a little… thin?” he asked dubiously.  
  
Sam tugged the thread away from him. “It’s like  _rope_ ,” he said dryly. “ _You’re_  just too big.” Before going any further, now that the thread was completely off the safety pin, he gave it a good yank on the knot to test it for himself. It didn’t budge at all. Oscar’s knot was sound.  
  
He took a step back, cocking his arm back. He let the safety pin fly, arching through the air with the thread trailing after it.   
  
Dean’s eyebrows went up in appreciation at the air it caught. “Dude, you could be on the football team!” he said, impressed at the distance.  
  
The safety pin clattered to the ground just past the homework Dean had scattered about, a good three feet away from the two smaller kids. Sam brightened at the sight. “I could  _never_  throw that far before!” he exclaimed.  
  
Oscar stood on the tips of his toes to see just a little farther and observe where the pin had landed. Of course, he didn't really add much to his height doing that, but it felt like he could see better. He smiled approvingly. "Well, it's a good thing you can now," he commented. Sam was clearly stronger than Oscar, with that good of a first throw. He'd probably learn what he needed in no time at all.  
  
Oscar knelt to pull his cloth bag over his shoulder and set it down on the table. He wouldn't need it for now. He opened it up and hastily pulled out his own safety pin, undoing the coiled thread too.  
  
In response to Dean's worries, he decided to point out "Even if the string is kinda thin, it's the knot that matters, I think." Oscar had seen a number of his early attempts at the right knot come undone with just a slight weight, but tying even his thin threads the right way enabled him to drag heavy things along if he needed to.  
  
"Y-you should see the thread I use to sew things," he mused, wandering along the stretched out string of Sam's new grappling line. He stopped before a huge piece of notebook paper and looked back up at the human. "Well. Maybe you  _couldn't_  actually see it ..." he realized, raising his eyebrows.  
  
Dean blinked at that in surprise. “What do you mean I couldn’t…” His eyes trailed briefly over Oscar. The clothing the kid was wearing was more ragged that what Dean or Sam usually wore… though Sam only had the one set of clothing, and they’d been forced to search for more for him. In the end, they’d found a place where they could order custom ‘doll clothes,’ and that would have to serve as a replacement. Sam always complained about how itchy it was, no matter how soft it felt to Dean when he checked the fabric the clothes were made out of.  
  
Sam tried to wear his one set of regular clothing as much as he could, but he was already starting to outgrow it. Eventually, he’d have nothing else to wear but the doll clothing, unless they found a cure for his curse and got him back to normal. Every day that passed by with him still small, that goal felt a little further away. They were all starting to adjust to him so small, no matter how much they willed it otherwise.  
  
No matter what, Dean would never stop searching.  
  
He didn’t get to do much research, compared to what John or Bobby put in. He didn’t have ready access to a library outside of their school, and the books at Bobby’s were out of reach while they were on the road. But he took advantage of every second that he could, and did his best to keep Sam from finding out how desperate they were growing. Everyday without an answer was a day where another lead fell through, and another day for the witch to get further out of reach.  
  
“Oscar, do you make your clothes yourself?” Dean asked. His curiosity made him forget to use the playful nickname in his urge to know. It made sense, since Oscar couldn’t exactly go to the store to pick out a new set of clothing. Something like that might be useful to know, with the way that doll clothing was less than ideal and Sam was starting his growth spurts, carefully charted by Dean as he compared his brother’s growth week to week.  
  
Oscar glanced down at his shirt, pinching the fabric. It was already thin compared to anything Dean would wear. That thicker fabric would be too cumbersome and could limit mobility at the worst of times. Fraying it down to useable threads and weaving it back into something better was something he'd been learning from his mom.  
  
"I didn't make these," he answered, holding his arms up a little to indicate the clothes he had on. "Except the shoes... I made those myself to practice. My mom made the rest. I made a shirt myself but that's back home."  
  
Oscar hadn't been growing very quickly. That was the main reason he was still able to wear most of what his mother had made most recently for him. Even the shirt he had on had some room to grow into it. His skinny frame didn't come close to filling it and the sleeves were a little long. It was a good thing, because his weaving was slow and his sewing wasn't much faster.  
  
"I gotta make it myself. When I'm taller I'll need clothes that fit so I don't get cold. It's hard to get warm again once the cold gets in." He picked up the string from Sam's hook and absently reeled it back in for him, wondering if Sam would agree with that or not. After all, he could be out in the heated room without as much worry, but the space between the walls was not heated at all.  
  
Dean's brow pinched with concern as he listened. Oscar was talking about making the clothes himself in the future, but he said his mother had made them in the past. Dean reached forward tentatively, brushing a finger briefly against one of Oscar's arms while he reeled in the thread. The fabric looked ragged, but it was soft against his fingertip. Softer than even the doll clothes that they got for Sam.  
  
Oscar, startled by the sudden approach and touch of a huge hand, gasped and flinched his arm away. But Dean didn't move to grab him, merely felt the thin fabric of Oscar's little shirt. It was probably some of the thinnest cloth Dean had ever seen, so Oscar couldn't fault him for being curious, even if it had alarmed him. When he looked up past the hand to its owner, he was surprised to see concern written clearly in those green eyes above.  
  
"Oscar, where's your mom?" Dean asked uneasily. The kid had come back to visit them in the middle of the day. Did anyone else know where he was if he got into any trouble? After all, he'd been captured just yesterday by Dean himself. What if it was someone else that had nabbed the kid? What if they didn't want to let him go? Was there anyone out there that would be able to help him out?  
  
Oscar's eyes widened a little and he looked back to the task of reeling in the pin Sam had hurled across the table. He felt his face blushing fire and he wondered what the brothers would say if he told them the truth. He shrugged, realizing that the look on Dean's face had meant he  _knew_  already.   
  
Dean had him figured out.  
  
"I dunno," he answered, turning to hand off the pin to Sam so he could try another practice throw if he wanted. He tried to think of how long it had been. Oscar was saddened to realize that he didn't really remember; it had been around a year because he was seven then and he was eight now. "She didn't come home," he added, holding his hands behind his back once they were free. His expression was earnest when he looked up at Dean again.  
  
"B-but I learned a lot before she went, so I  _promise_  I can still be a good teacher!" Oscar's voice was determined, but it still wavered with the worry that they wouldn't believe him.  
  
Dean let out a chuckle at Oscar's defensiveness, but it was subdued. He held out a hand to hold off anymore words. "Chill, little dude, I believe you. After all, if you didn't know what you were doing, you wouldn't have been sneaking in our room in the first place, right?" He gave Oscar a wink, trying to hide his own worry. Oscar was just a kid, a kid that barely topped two inches in height, and he was surviving in a world that was clearly against him without any help.  
  
"But maybe we can pay you back for teaching Sammy," Dean thought out loud while Sam took back his new safety pin and thread from the younger kid. "I'm sure Sam wouldn't mind having you around, so you can stop by whenever you want. We'll be here for at least a month on our own. We've got the room to ourselves. You're more than welcome to drop in and hang out. After all, we've got cable, plus a credit card so we don't have to worry about running out of money for food this time."  
  
He gave the kid a gentle smile. It wasn't like sharing their food with Oscar would even slightly strain their resources for the month. Sam couldn't finish off a bite of food on his own, and Oscar was even smaller. Dean wouldn’t have to steal food this time around if he rationed the money right.  
  
They'd be able to keep Oscar from getting into any other trouble while he was around, too. If he didn't have to sneak out to other rooms to gather supplies, he wouldn't be in danger. After all, there was no one else around to look out for him. He was younger than Sammy with no  _family_  to rely on at his small size.  
  
Oscar perked up again, his worries shedding away as Dean's offer really sank in. A trade wasn't something he'd even thought about. There was so little he could do to trade with people normally, since resources were so tight. This time he had something to offer. He wasn't sure what a credit card was, but his heart lifted at the thought of being able to eat every day while they were here. Even if it was only a little while, he had a chance to earn himself some food.  
  
"Okay!" he answered enthusiastically, a smile showing up on his face. He could keep coming back to see them. Oscar was practically giddy over the fact; there might even be time to just play around, something he hadn't really been able to do much for a while.  
  
He looked over at Sam hopefully. Though he thought he knew the answer already, Oscar decided to ask anyway. "That's okay with you, right?" Sam was the first kid close to Oscar's own age that he'd ever met. He hoped they could get along. Sam might be able to help Oscar learn how to be brave when it came to such big humans.  
  
"Of course!" Sam said with a wide grin for both Oscar and Dean. They might have had a bump in the road when they first met, but the older Winchester was clearly starting to win over the kid. "Who else can I race when I learn to climb?"  
  
" 'Race?' " Dean frowned at the thought. "Yeah, I don't think so, pint-size. This is so you have a way to get around the room."  
  
"Whatever you say, Dean," Sam said, waving his big brother off. "I can't  _wait_  to learn!" He was practically bouncing in place from excitement; first from discovering he could learn to climb, reluctant Dean or not, second from making a new friend who wanted to come back and visit them more.  
  
Oscar's smile remained bright on his face. He hadn't been this happy about something in ages. Sam's enthusiasm was infectious, and he was determined to be the best teacher he could. Sam had a lot to learn, and as his new friend Oscar would make sure he learned it. Especially since they were letting him have  _food_  in return for his help.  
  
"Once you get the basics out of the way it's real easy," he commented. "Then you can go almost anywhere." He didn't say it, but a race sounded  _fun._  And it was another good way to learn. Sometimes a climb needed to be made quickly, and a climb  _down_  even faster than that. Oscar's view on the matter was centered entirely on avoiding notice, though, which was a moot point with Dean spotting their progress.  
  
"I've never watched the TVs before or spent time out in the rooms. It's too scary by myself." Oscar wondered if he'd get a chance to look out the window. He'd only ever heard about the outdoors from his mom. He knew it was a big world out there, but he didn't even know what it looked like.  
  
“You don’t have to be afraid in here anymore,” Sam said brightly. “Dean’ll watch out for us. He always does.”  
  
Dean laughed and ruffled Sam’s hair with a light finger. Ever since shrinking down, his hair was growing out messily. He’d brushed off any offers or attempts to help trim the hair from Dean and John both (hiding away in Dean’s pocket when John had wanted to cut it), and didn’t seem to mind the bangs that hung in his eyes.  
  
Sam pushed at the finger in annoyance, and Dean took it away. “You two can relax as long as you’re in this room.” He gave them a wink with a smirk. “After all, I’m the guy the monsters have nightmares about.” With him there, nothing would get into the room. He had the salt spread out at any entrance, he had his trusty colt that he cleaned assiduously, and even some cat’s eye shells that John had left with them for protection. And of course, no humans would get into the room either. It was too dangerous to let anyone else close to either Sam or Oscar.  
  
That made Oscar pause. He chewed his lip thoughtfully and wondered if he'd heard Dean correctly. Or if the human was making a joke of some kind. After a few seconds of being unable to work out what Dean meant, Oscar finally caved in and asked. "Monsters? What do you mean?"  
  
In Oscar's experience, there were monsters out there, and plenty of them. They checked into the motel rooms or ran the front desk or delivered food for the vending machines. Humans were large and could do whatever they wanted, and they were scary and loud most of the time. Dean, it seemed, was a very rare exception.  
  
Other than that, he hadn't heard of other monsters being real. Just stories to make  _human_  kids as scared as Oscar was of them. They didn't have to deal with giants so they made up their own adversaries ... right? "What kinda monsters?"  
  
Sam glanced back over at him as he hefted up his safety pin for another throw. “Well… like the monster that cursed me,” he replied quietly. “Dad says it was a witch, and he’s trying to track her down so we can fix me one day.”  
  
Dean crossed his arms in front of him so he could rest his head on them. It made talking to kids that didn’t reach three inches in height a little easier. “Our dad hunts monsters, and keeps them from hurting people. I’m gonna be a hunter just like him, so I can keep bad things from happening to any more kids like Sammy when I’m out of school.” His eyes turned thoughtful, remembering that fateful day. A flash of light, and him falling to the ground when John burst in. Sam,  _right there_  in front of him. So small, so fragile, and knocked out between fighting giants.  
  
The first thing he’d done was grab his little brother up and cradle him as carefully as he could. It was a good thing he had considering how fast John had shoved him out the door. Sam could have easily been left behind in the chaos of that room, and Dean would never have forgiven himself if that had happened.  
  
His two and a half inch brother, left defenseless in a room with a witch.  
  
Sam went to throw the pin again. This time, it didn’t make it as far, clattering to the table right next to where Dean’s elbow was resting. Instead of waiting for Sam to reel it back in the way Oscar had done, Dean plucked it up and handed it off to his little brother.  
  
Sam faced Oscar as he finished gathering up the thread. “There’s other things. Like werewolves and spirits and demons. Our dad made sure there was nothing around this motel before he left us here, and we’ve got salt around any entrance. That way, they can’t get in if they find us.”  
  
Oscar remembered stumbling over the pile of salt as he entered the room. And he remembered finding the piles of it by the door while he was exploring yesterday. It had confused him greatly, but now at least there was an explanation for it. The explanation wasn't much less confusing, but it was a step in the right direction.  
  
"The salt keeps bad things away?" He glanced over to his vent, the entrance into the walls and his way in and out of the room. Did they think something bad might be lurking back there? Oscar couldn't fathom a monster being small enough to go that way. Or at least, he really sincerely hoped there weren't ghosts in his vents.  
  
The fact that Dean was going to grow up to fight monsters struck him. Oscar realized his thoughts were jumping back and forth over the new information he'd just been given. He wasn't sure what to focus on first. "And you're gonna go looking for the bad things one day?" he asked of Dean, looking a little awestruck. "Isn't that ..." his cheeks turned red as he remembered how timid and fearful he'd already appeared, but he couldn't help it. "... scary?"  
  
Dean shook his head emphatically. “I’m not gonna be scared. I’ll be just like my dad and let those monsters know they can’t mess with people like us and get away with it.” Ever since Sam had been cursed, he knew it was the only path he’d ever follow. If there was a cure out there, he’d find it no matter what. Before that, there had been days where he’d dreamed of living a normal life, but now…  
  
...Now, he’d dedicate his life to making sure no one else had to deal with a curse like Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's throw has gotten a lot better since shrinking down. :) And Oz, you can't hide the truth from the big brother in Dean. He knows. He picked up on you being alone already.
> 
> Next: December 16th


	10. Future Adventures

Sam grinned at the thought of Dean being a hunter. “I’m gonna help,” he announced. “I’m not going to let Dean go out there alone. He’ll always have me around to count on to get him out of trouble.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes, poking at Sam’s side. “Who’s gonna watch who?” he teased lightly.  
  
Sam squirmed away from the intruding digit, annoyed with Dean’s persistence. “Just you wait! Once I can climb everywhere, I’ll be able to help out, just like you.”  
  
Sam gave another try at throwing and this time it made it past the homework pile again. “Didja see that?” he said, excited. “I think I’m a better thrower now than when I was normal-sized!” He started to reel it in again, imitating the motions that Oscar had used when he’d done it a few minutes ago.  
  
Oscar thought about their exchange with slightly widened eyes. Both brothers were so determined to go  _towards_  danger just to help someone else. Even Sam, who wouldn't outweigh a mouse at his current size. Oscar wasn't sure he could ever be that brave.  
  
Sure, helping people would fill him with pride, if he could do it. But what could he realistically do on his own? He was even small for one of the smaller folk; he couldn't see himself getting too tall. Three and a half inches, tops. Sam would probably get taller than that. Maybe three and three quarter inches. And he had Dean around to help him learn what he needed.  
  
Oscar, all by himself, wasn't even fit to fight off a rat if it moved into the motel.  
  
He rubbed his arm absently. Maybe he couldn't go out and fight monsters like Sam and Dean. But he could at least help Sam. Then Sam could go and help others. It'd be kind of like Oscar helped them that way. So he brushed off his heavy thoughts and said "You  _are_  a really good thrower. You should try aiming now." He wound up with his own pin and gave it a toss across the homework, where it clinked faintly against Dean's abandoned pencil.  
  
Sam held up his pin and aimed, his tongue sticking out in concentration. The pencil was a distance away, but it was large enough to offer a decent target to practice on. The shape of the safety pin was what threw him off. It didn’t sail through the air like a ball would, and he had a feeling that if there was ever a breeze in the room it would be easy to lose control of a toss. The lightweight metal could get knocked aside by almost any outside influence; he’d definitely need practice to control it.  
  
It ended up missing the pencil by barely four inches, clattering to the side. He frowned at that, his ears turning slightly pink at the mistake. Dean didn’t make fun of him, though. Luckily for the two tiny kids on the table, the teen was too enthralled with watching their precise actions to tease them at that moment. His eyes tracked each throw, watching where the pins ended up.  
  
Sam started to reel in the pin again with his thread, starting to get used to the simple action. It was definitely a new type of exercise for him. He had a feeling that once they actually started climbing he wouldn’t have to worry about working out at all. The climbing alone would be plenty of work.  
  
His second throw was more thought out, and this time landed right beyond the pencil, close to the mark he'd aimed for. “Yes!” he hissed triumphantly, pumping his fist.  
  
Dean grinned down at him. “Up high!” he said, offering Sam a finger to slap in victory.   
  
Which he did without hesitation, giving his older brother a high five. A tiny hand smaller than the tip of Dean's finger enthusiastically smacked against it. It was so light Dean could only just feel it but he was thrilled all the same. Sam was much more confident than normal with Oscar around to give him a same-size anchor.  
  
Oscar smiled, too, though he was glad neither brother noticed that he flinched from the approach of Dean's hand. It was just for a very unconventional high five. He wasn't grabbing or even poking at Sam. He was simply congratulating a job well done, which Oscar agreed upon; Sam was a natural. It was easier to see that they were brothers with interactions like this.   
  
He almost envied them.  
  
"Good job," he said happily. Sam would need to make sure he had very good aim with his climbing hook. Missing and needing to make another throw could cost precious seconds, and make the difference between escape and capture. "Let's try a few more."  
  


* * *

  
Several tosses later, Sam had seen Oscar demonstrate the more accurate throws and had tried his hand at them himself. He got a little better every time, until he got the hang of the weight of the pin. He even sent the pencil rolling across the table a few inches with a well-placed throw.  
  
"Practicing out in the light with all this room makes it so much easier," Oscar noted with some excitement. Even he'd had to learn it in the dark. And though he could see decently well with less light, this was vastly different and he kind of preferred it.  
  
Sam grinned as he pulled the safety pin back into his arms with the thread. This was the most activity he'd done during the last month all in one day. Most days he spent his time on Dean's shoulder or in his hands. It was a good way to get around the rooms and houses that they were at, and it was also a way for him to feel like he had some control over the world still.  
  
He might not be able to open that massive door, after all, but Dean could do it without a second thought. Distances that would take Sam an hour or more to cross were a simple walk to his older brother. With Dean came safety and control (and teasing), and Sam wouldn't trade those feelings for the world.  
  
But now he had the chance to do something for himself,  _without_  anyone's help. It would give him his independence back again, something he'd lost for a while. No more waiting for Dean to wake up to get down from the pillow because the bed was too high up to go anywhere, no more danger of being stranded on a table on his own. He'd have a way around.  
  
Sam held the safety pin close to his chest again, examining the knot that was tied around the metal to be sure none of his throws had loosened it. He had a feeling that he'd be checking it a lot; it was imperative that they kept up with the care needed for any items that they staked their life on. Sam's knife, Dean's gun. Now his new climbing equipment. That was one lesson he was glad that John had drilled into their heads from a young age.  
  
"Where did you learn to throw?" Sam asked Oscar curiously, wondering what it was like to actually  _grow up_  so small and never be normal sized. He still had a lot to adjust to in his new perspective, and in the back of his mind he wondered if one day he'd start to forget what it was like to be human-sized like Dean.  
  
Oscar pointed towards the vent he'd emerged from. Beyond it, an entire network of vents and grates and crawlspaces existed, if you were small enough. The hollow walls of human buildings provided plenty of shelter for the smaller folk, even if it was a little dusty and dark. At least they weren't outside where an animal could easily get to them.  
  
"In the walls. There's cross beams to practice on and stuff," he answered easily enough. To Oscar, the dark inside the walls was part of normal. As was the dust and the chill that usually accompanied his short trips in the ventilation shafts.  
  
"Normally it's not safe to practice out in the rooms, 'cause a human could see you any minute. We're most vulnerable while we're climbing so it's good to learn to do it fast." He realized he'd just recited almost word-for-word something he'd been told when he first learned. And now he knew so well the meaning behind it. Having a human watch him while he climbed, knowing he could either fall or be snatched right off his rope, had been more than a little unsettling.  
  
"I-I could show you sometime. If you wanted to go try to see it. My house isn't as nice as a human room but it's okay anyway." Oscar almost had second thoughts about the offer. How could Sam, who knew what it was to have all the comfort of a human room, be interested in Oscar's dusty little cobbled together home?  
  
Sam peeked over at the vent on the wall, trying to imagine actually going inside it like Oscar had the day before. It would be like he was exploring dark tunnels the way Indiana Jones had. He'd be an adventurer.  
  
Dean also found himself glancing at the vent dubiously. "Isn't it dangerous in the wall?" he asked. The vent in the motel was small enough that his shoulders wouldn't be able to fit inside, leaving him unable to follow Sam to make sure he didn't get into any trouble. The skeptical look made Oscar’s cheeks erupt pink and he looked down at the table, shuffling one of his shoes absently.  
  
Sam rolled his eyes, feeling slightly aghast on Oscar's behalf. " _Dean!_  That's where he lives! Of course we'll be safe. He went back there all by himself yesterday, didn't he?" He glanced over at Oscar. “I’d love to see what it’s like!” he proclaimed. His eyes grew round. “I never thought I’d get the chance to visit a house made for my size again, at least not until we find a way to break the curse!”  
  
Oscar looked back up, relieved that Sam hadn't gone on the same train of thought as Dean. He knew it might  _seem_  dangerous to Dean, but at worst it was dark and dusty. The walls themselves were nothing to worry about. If kept clear, they were just as useable as any other structure.  
  
And to Oscar,  _not_  being in the walls was way more dangerous anyway. His viewpoint was completely opposite Dean's because of their size.  
  
A smile appeared on his face, a hopeful one. "I keep things clear of dust the best I can in there," he explained. "And there's nothing else in the path that you'd trip on. My house even gets some light from the room on the other side, there's a crack in the wall."  
  
"I don't know..." Dean said, still apprehensive about the thought of letting his two and a half inch tall brother out of sight like that completely. He'd have no way of knowing if Sam was alright and no way to help him even if he had a way to stay in contact.  
  
Small hazel eyes stared up at him, a wide-eyed puppy look turned on the older brother. "But Dean, I might never get a chance like this again! It'll be like going on an adventure, and it doesn't matter that I'm little! Please?" He put two small hands on Dean's knuckles, continuing to stare up beseechingly at his older brother.  
  
Dean closed his eyes. He could already hear their father berating him for even  _thinking_  about letting Sam out of sight. If anything happened to Sam, after all, it was automatically his fault.  
  
At the same time, past the worry for Sam and the knowledge that John would roast his hide... he couldn't just decide what Sam did or didn't do. It was too easy to trap his little brother, just stick him in a place where he couldn't get around.  
  
If he started doing that, he'd be treating Sam no better than a pet.  
  
So Dean let out a huge sigh, knowing he'd get flayed by their dad if he ever found out. "Just... be careful, Sammy, okay? I can't exactly fit in there with you if you get into trouble."  
  
Sam was practically glowing with excitement. He turned to Oscar. "Didja hear that? I get to learn to climb  _and_  see the walls with you!"  
  
Oscar sighed, a relieved sound that came with a smile. "I'm glad," he said truthfully.  
  
He had worried Dean wouldn't let Sam even consider the idea. Not only would that be disappointing for Sam, but it would have worried Oscar, too. If the walls were too dangerous for Sam, it wouldn't take much for Dean to decide the same for the other tiny kid. And if he didn't make that consideration ...  
  
Well. It wasn't like they'd known each other that long. Dean didn't really have much of a reason to worry about Oscar's safety.  
  
Not that it mattered. The passages Oscar used  _were_  safe. It was one of the things he made sure of. In fact, Dean pointing out that he couldn't fit in the walls with them was one of the most basic requirements for a home there. It made it even safer; if Dean couldn't get in, other humans couldn't either.  
  
Oscar looked up at Dean, seeing a concerned big brother. With a sigh, he decided to at least try to reassure the bigger teen, since he was just looking out for Sam. "M-my house isn't as nice as the room out here, but ... it's the safest place  _I_  know. It's okay. I promise."  
  
Dean gave the kid a smile before he sat back in his chair. “I bet it is. Too bad I won’t get to see it…” He trailed off for a second, growing thoughtful. He’d never considered what it would be like to be able to live like that, or fit in a wall so easily. He  _should_ have after Sam had gotten hit with his curse, but it just never occurred to either brother.  
  
Before Oscar could react, Dean instinctively brushed a finger over his hair the same way he did to Sammy. The other kid was younger than Sam and all on his own, making Dean wish he could do more to help the guy out. At least they knew he’d be safe while they were around. No other people would get a chance to grab him if he had food he could count on in their room. “Well, Oz, I guess I’ll just have to hear about it when you two get back.”  
  
Oscar's eyes were wide from surprise, but he hadn't even had time to flinch away before a huge finger had mussed up his hair and retreated already. He reached up to fix the messy brown locks, surprised that someone so big could be gentle enough to mess with his hair without knocking him over or wrenching his neck.  
  
He couldn't help but notice, too, that Dean was being so nice to him and letting him teach Sam about life at this size despite Oscar's young age and shabby appearance. Yet another tentative smile broke through the shock on his face. Oscar had been smiling a lot more in the last 24 hours than he had in months.  
  
"I'm sorry that you can't fit," he said, sounding genuine in his regret. He glanced over at Dean's hand, thinking about it. "You'd be able to get your hand in and that's about it. 'S only got a couple rooms anyway."  
  
Dean flexed open his hand, staring down at the size of it compared to Oscar and Sam. Just yesterday he’d trapped a child in it, helpless and with no way out if he didn’t want to let him go. It underscored their differences better than anything else he’d seen.   
  
A home for Sam or Oscar would be  _small_. Like the fable about the woman that lived in a shoe. Only neither of them had a mother to watch out for them the way the kids in that tale did.  
  
“I’m sure it’s great,” Dean said quietly, almost lost in thought.  
  
Sam bounced over to Oscar, his pin and thread in his arms. “We don’t have a home,” he said truthfully. “We lost it when I was a baby.”  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sam," Oscar replied quietly, his expression shifting to concern. It explained what they were doing here. They didn't have another place to stay, so they were in a motel. A place with a bed, warmth, and food nearby. They could get by even without a house to call theirs.  
  
He couldn't imagine losing his home on top of everything else. It was really all he had left now. Without it, Oscar wouldn't be able to store food or even hope to keep himself warm enough in the Colorado winters.  
  
"Good thing you have Dean to look out for you, even if you have to live in motel rooms sometimes," he pointed out. The brothers weren't alone, even if they didn't have a house. They could count on each other wherever they ended up. Oscar smiled then. "I'm kinda glad your dad picked this one."  
  
“Me too,” Sam said with a smile back. He wasn’t about to let their lack of a home get him down. It was just the way things were. They’d always been on the road all his life. He’d yearned for a different way, and always wanted to find a place to settle down, but now it wouldn’t make a difference.  
  
If they found a home, what could he do? He’d still be too small to find friends to go out and play with. He couldn’t go outside on his own. Even on Dean’s shoulder, the world was just  _so big._  Ever since being cursed, his entire outlook was changing and he didn’t know if he liked it.  
  
But now he’s found someone else his size. And Oscar said there were ways for him to get by without any help. Clearly, Oscar had done it on his own for some time, and if he could do it, Sam might be able to learn the same skills.  
  
Sam sent up a sudden smirk up at Dean. “And Dean’s not the  _only_  one who watches out for someone around here. Without me, he’d never even get himself up to go to school in the morning!”  
  
Oscar's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise and disbelief. He  _thought_  he'd just heard Sam say he woke Dean up in the mornings. Dean, a sleeping giant compared to them. He never thought he'd hear of one of the smaller folk being more reliable than an alarm clock for something like that.  
  
The brothers were definitely the strangest pair of people he'd ever seen pass through the motel, and likely ever would.  
  
He decided to simply add to the conversation rather than ponder too hard over the strange normal they were making for themselves. "I can't go to school but my mom taught me out to read and stuff. So I can keep up with all the human things and know what's going on."  
  
“You should come with us sometime,” Sam offered. “Dean lets me ride in his hoodie ever since I hitched a ride in his pockets to go. Dad didn’t want me leaving the motel room, but I was stuck there with just him all day, and he kept…” Sam trailed off, suddenly realizing what he was about to say. He blinked quickly, trying to keep his mind off those times.  
  
John had never once laid a hand on Sam, but being alone with him after being shrunk to under three inches in height… it was terrifying. Being around Dean was reassuring. His brother was cautious, careful and knew to keep his voice down whenever he could. John, on the other hand, though he felt a huge amount of guilt for Sam’s state, just  _didn’t get it_.  
  
He was loud, he got angry easily, he’d shouted more than once with Sam in the room. Both with Dean, and without. Far better to spend the day holed up in a pocket, noticed or not. The worst he’d had to deal with that day was Dean’s hand suddenly appearing in the pocket with him. There wasn’t exactly anywhere he could hide from the groping fingers, so he’d ended up busted and snagged in his brother’s grasp.  
  
Dean had taken the blame and no matter what Sam had to say on the matter, the older brother had been the one berated and punished. He felt bad for that, but he was too nervous to actually tell their father completely off.  
  
“Anyway,” Sam said quickly to hide his pause, “there’s always room for you if you wanted to see what it’s like at school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planning some fun for the future. Sam's curious about wee Oz's home and wants a buddy to go to school with him ^-^
> 
> Next: December 21st


	11. How Heavy?

In the wake of an offer like that, Oscar missed Sam's short lapse in speaking. He found himself imagining a building full of younger humans. Humans that, while smaller, were just as strong compared to Oscar. Just as capable of grabbing him too roughly or yelling too loudly. A building full of humans that could mistake him for nothing more than a toy to be played with.  
  
It sounded  _terrifying._  
  
"Maybe," he answered, his voice pitched a little higher than usual. He didn't even have it in him to be embarrassed over it. Even just leaving the motel was so far outside the realm of anything he ever thought of doing. Going to a school might be beyond him.  
  
"I never even went outside before. It's too dangerous."  
  
“Really?” Sam asked in surprise. “I haven’t gone out  _much_  since being cursed, but I’d never want to be stuck inside all my life.”  
  
He glanced over at the towering door to the room. It was deadbolted at all times to reduce the chances of anyone ever bursting in and finding the cursed boy. Of course, that kind of action had done nothing to stop the witch that had attacked him in the first place, but at least this way he didn’t have to worry about any normal human robbers on top of everything else. And even if the pizza boy caught sight of him when they ordered out it could be dangerous.  
  
That door sealed them off from a world of giants. With it closed, all he ever had to worry about was Dean, and John on occasion if he ever stopped by. Out there, aside from the giants that were everywhere, he’d have to worry about animals. Birds that could easily pluck him from the ground and dogs the size of houses. Cats that stalked their prey and  _played_  with it before dealing a killing blow.  
  
Sam’s eyes were hopeful as he looked at Oscar. “You should come with us sometime, right, Dean?”  
  
Dean grinned at that. “I dunno. He might weigh me down too much. I mean, it’s a lot of work hauling you everywhere.”  
  
Oscar's nerves over the subject were derailed by Dean's claim. He laughed quietly, his bashful smile returning. "No way," he protested. "I'm not very heavy at all and Sam can't be either. You're a  _human._ " He said it matter-of-factly, because really it  _was_  a matter of fact. Dean being human meant he was pretty much guaranteed enough strength to carry the two smaller kids on the table.  
  
He looked over at the big door, too. The one with a line of salt at its base keeping monsters at bay. "But ... maybe. Maybe sometime I'll go outside. But if there's any animals close by we should come right back in, they're too big," he added pensively.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Dean said with a wink. “No animals will get anywhere close with me around. But…” He trailed off, his grin slowly switching to a smirk after Oscar’s claim that there was no  _way_  they were too heavy for him to carry. An idea formed in his head. With the way Oscar was clearly more comfortable around the teen, it didn’t seem like a  _bad_  idea.  
  
At least, not to Dean. Sam would probably disagree the way he disagreed about most things.  
  
Dean lightly pinched two fingers around Oscar’s waist and hefted him carefully up. As carefully as he’d ever held Sammy considering that the new kid was smaller, thinner and frailer. “Guess you’re right!” Dean exclaimed jokingly. “I won’t even notice an extra Oz as a passenger.” He put Oscar on his head and then rested his head on his arms so the kid wouldn’t be so high up in the air.  
  
Oscar squeaked in surprise and immediately latched both hands around one of the many spikes of hair on Dean's head. He hadn't had time to react; one second he was staring at the big door of the room, thinking about all the things lurking beyond it. And the next, the table fell away from his surprised, kicking feet, and he was deposited on a moving human's  _head._  
  
His heart didn't know where it wanted to go but while it made up its mind it was pounding loudly in Oscar's ears. He took several quick breaths to orient himself, and got his bearings.  
  
"D-Dean!" he complained, though he obviously couldn't see the human's face. He remembered seeing Sam sitting up here the day before. Making it look so casual.  _How did he do this?!_  
  
He tried to inch forward so he could see where Sam stood on the table. Or see the table at all, really. He was surrounded by spiked hair that was actually  _longer_  than he was tall. He never completely let go while he moved, making sure at least one hand had a grip so he wouldn't fall. He'd traversed a few different kinds of terrain throughout the motel, but never something that shifted beneath his feet.  
  
He made his way to the hairline of the mischievous human and pushed a few spikes of hair out of the way like he was wading in tall grass. At least Dean wasn't tickled and throwing him right off. Or if he was tickled, he was used to it after all the times Sam had been up there enough to avoid twitching. Oscar was grateful for that as he looked around from the most unique vantage point he'd ever had in his life.  
  
Sam practically covered his face with his hands. “Dean, what gives?” he moaned from between his fingers, staring up at the hair as it was tentatively moved aside by the tiny kid that was up there.  
  
Dean raised his eyebrows innocently. “What? I  _had_  to test it, didn’t I? Just making sure the two of you won’t overburden me when we go outside!” He gave Sam a wink and poked his brother lightly in the side. “Better safe than sorry.” Though it  _was_  as odd a feeling as always, having someone sit on his head. Lightweight tickles were all he could feel to mark where Oscar and Sam were at any time while they were up there and he couldn’t risk moving his head too much. He knew Sam liked sitting up there because he felt a bit more normal from time to time, seeing the room at a higher vantage point. Dean wasn’t about to ever dissuade him. He wondered how the new kid felt about it.  
  
Sam stepped back, trying to escape the hand. He peered up at Dean’s brow as the hairs spiking up at the front were parted by the younger kid. “Oscar! You okay up there?” he called out.  
  
"I-I'm okay," Oscar called back, his small face angling towards Sam. Even with Dean resting his head on his arms, Sam was a decent distance away. Certainly too far for Oscar to be able to hop down on his own. He looked around, getting a better view of the whole tabletop than he'd ever had before. Even from the higher vents in a room, the table was too far away to see it this clearly.  
  
Human perspective may have a few perks, but it was still weird to see everything from up there. And to know that Dean could probably barely feel him there.  
  
"I saw that you were up here yesterday," he called down to Sam. His hands were practically shaking from the tight grip he had on Dean's hair. He didn't feel  _that_  unstable, but he was on a human's head. A  _human's head_. He didn't know what to do with himself. "Do you stand up here a lot? Even if Dean walks around?" His eyes were round from the very thought. Just being on Dean's hands while he walked around was a weird sensation.  
  
Sam felt a slowly growing smile as he saw that Oscar wasn’t actually afraid all the way up there. “Not usually when he’s walking, no,” he called up. “I mostly stay on a shoulder; there’s more to hold on to down there. But it’s fun to sit up there while we watch tv or do homework. I like seeing what things used to look like for me before I got cursed.”  
  
Dean raised his eyes to the ceiling, wishing he had a mirror or some way to see the little guy up there. “Just no pulling out any hairs, okay? Sam managed to yank out a clump his first time when he slipped down.”  
  
“Hey, I was falling!” Sam protested from the table. He aimed a kick at Dean’s hand.  
  
Dean moved his hand just enough for Sam to miss, and caught his tiny brother between two fingers. “We were sitting on the bed!” he complained to his captive audience. “You just ended up landing on the mattress anyway… with  _my_  hairs!”  
  
Oscar shuffled back just a step as the antics played out, making sure he wouldn't lose his balance while Dean caught his little brother in his huge fingers. Though Sam was squirming to escape the grip, Oscar remembered that it wasn't painful at all. When he'd been lifted up, he'd been surprised and startled, but never did he feel like his bones were in any danger that way. Dean was good at being careful for someone so large.  
  
"I won't fall," he assured them confidently. But, even if he did and he caught himself on Dean's hair ... he had doubts that he'd be able to actually yank much of it out. Maybe some, when his very small weight tugged on it, but otherwise he could probably hang on. Not that he planned to test the theory.  
  
He leaned out again and craned his neck to attempt to see Dean's shoulder. There was a lot of room on it, from what he could tell, though he only see the outer edge of it. Dean was big enough to carry both of the smaller kids on one shoulder easily. And he would hardly feel their weight. Even now, he easily had Sam in just two fingers, no effort at all going into holding the smaller kid. Oscar was still amazed that he'd found someone with power like that who wasn't abusing it like he'd always been warned would happen.  
  
"I just, um. How should I get down?" he asked after a pause. He wasn't unnerved being up so high, since he'd had to climb a number of things before. But all the same, he liked to know where his exits were. "Can't use a pin on your head," he pointed out with a breathy chuckle, tapping one of his little shoes on Dean's head and wondering if the human noticed.  
  
“Oh! Here, I can getcha down.” Dean opened his fingers, letting Sam bound out of his grasp with a bitchy glare shot up at his older brother. Aside from being a little extra rumpled, the younger Winchester was fine, brushing off his clothes like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.  
  
Keeping his head steady, Dean held his hand, palm facing the ceiling, next to his forehead. It was where he could feel the small movements coming from. “Sam usually just climbs down to my back when we’re on the bed,” he explained as he tilted his head forward just enough for Oscar to slide into his hand. “Otherwise, for my hair’s sake I help him down. And that way I don’t have my brother landing on my  _nose_  anytime soon.”  
  
Oscar heard the explanation Dean gave. He even felt the vibrations of the human speaking through his fabric shoes, since he was standing on Dean's head. But he was soon occupied with the tilt towards the big hand. First his shoes slipped and he lost his balance, and then he tumbled forward onto Dean's palm with a quiet  _oof!_  
  
His bag landed haphazardly next to him while he righted himself. Oscar turned over to sit up on Dean's hand, sparing the surface beneath him a few extra glances. Now that he was sort of getting used to the human, and he wasn't as scared of being trapped in that hand, he could pay attention to the details in it. Thick skin gave a little under his small weight, and the ridges of Dean's fingerprints were easily noticeable. The warmth of the hand came up through his body and the steady, powerful thump of a pulse rushed beneath him. What Dean had said made it into his mind, quickly distracting him from where he was sitting.  
  
"If he landed on your nose you might  _sneeze,_ " Oscar realized with widened eyes. It'd be loud, not to mention incredibly dangerous. Sam was lucky something like that hadn't happened.  
  
Dean had to chuckle at that as he lowered his hand down to eye-level. “Unless you go kicking me while you’re on my nose, I think we’ll all be fine,” he told the kid. “No sneezing here.”  
  
He flattened his hand back on the table so Oscar could hop off, amazed at the thought that he could barely feel the kid shifting around on his palm. This kid was so thin compared to even Sam. Dean resolved all over again that they’d do what they could to get some food in him while they were at the motel. They might not be around for long but a few weeks of steady food could do him good.   
  
Sam darted over to make sure Oscar was alright after Dean’s shenanigans. After he was certain he wasn’t hurt or afraid, he bounced on his heels. “Can we try climbing?” he asked, wide-eyed. The night wasn’t getting any younger and he was excited to give it a try.  
  
Oscar paused in straightening out his rumpled shirt to smile. "That's a good idea," he agreed, shifting his bag back around so it rested at his side like it should. It made it easiest to grab what supplies he'd need without even looking.  
  
He held his safety pin close to his chest, the thread bunched up in his other hand as he made his way towards the edge of the table. He stopped again after only a few steps, frowning thoughtfully at the room from where he stood. He had a good angle on it (at least where he wasn't blocked by Dean) and it reminded him of how high up he actually was.  
  
He twisted around to look back at Sam with a sheepish grin. "Maybe the nightstand is a better place to start," he suggested. The nightstand, at least, wasn't as high up as the table. And it had a shelf and a drawer that could be used as a place to catch on just in case. The table, a sheer drop of several times their height, wasn't a good place for a beginner to start.  
  
Sam peered at the edge of the table from behind Oscar. He had to admit that the other boy was right; it was definitely a lot to take in all at once when he thought about dangling from that height. It had to be almost fifty feet if he was still a human, and he’d never even  _dreamed_  about climbing buildings as a kid. It was a crazy thought for a human, not so crazy for a guy like Oscar, and now Sam.  
  
“Okay,” he agreed easily. He was extra-glad that Dean was insisting on giving them a safety net while he learned. It seemed a lot more dangerous when he started thinking about actually dangling like that.  
  
“If you’re not climbing down,” Dean said, “I guess that means I’ll be giving you two a lift?” He winked at them as he held out his hands. At this rate, Sam might not remember the homework that they were supposed to be working on, a win in Dean’s mind. Watching the two kids that stood barely above two inches climb and horse around was more fun any day.  
  
Oscar thought about declining the offer. After all, it wasn't as normal for him as it was for Sam to just hop onto those hands and get a ride to wherever he wanted to go. He knew perfectly well that he  _could_  easily get to the floor so long as he had his pin and thread. Trekking to the nightstand would take a while, however, and he was admittedly just as excited as Sam to see the other boy give climbing a try.  
  
As he walked back towards those hands, amazed that they weren't lunging at them to grab them up, he thought of another good reason to avoid being on the floor. Dean would be walking around, and Oscar had yet to get a look at the human from that extreme of an angle. Even when Dean first caught him, Oscar had only had a glimpse of two enormous hands rushing down before they eclipsed everything.  
  
He remembered the rumbling in the floor from the footsteps, though. And the shadow darting over him to eclipse his small form. Dean wasn't even fully grown and he was already so tall. Oscar would put off seeing him from the ground for as long as he could.  
  
"Yes, please," he decided, stumbling onto Dean's offered hand. Oscar sat himself down, glad he'd found out that at least one human out there was nice. He was warming up to Dean more and more.  
  
Dean waited calmly for Sam to sit down after Oscar. He was getting used to having someone in his hands after the last month spent around Sam. His downsized brother was perfectly willing to bitch at him if he was moving too fast or grabbing without warning, so Dean had a good idea of what he was doing. It was the first time in his life he didn’t mind getting yelled at. Sam needed him to be careful and having his mistakes pointed out to him was the only way they’d adjust.  
  
With the two younger kids sitting on his hand, he stood from his chair and lifted them against his chest. It gave them a wall to tumble against if they lost their balance rather than falling onto the floor.  
  
As soon as Dean started walking, Sam had to shift his position. It was easy to lose balance with the immense movements around him and Oscar. Each step by Dean cleared ground that would take either of them time to cross, and the teen did it in seconds. Sam leaned forward over one of the fingertips, peering down at the ground below as it passed.  
  
The finger reflexively curled inwards, bumping Sam back so he tumbled into the center again next to Oscar. He sent up a glare at Dean and got nothing more than an arched eyebrow in return from his brother, who was watching his hands as he walked.  
  
A moment later, the ground rushed up at them as Dean knelt down and held his hand flat against the ground to let them off. Sam was a little wobbly as he hopped down, and the view of Dean kneeling over them didn’t help much. For some reason it felt _different_  from the floor, even though he’d seen him from that angle more than once on the bed.  
  
Oscar stumbled too, even less accustomed to traveling so far so fast than Sam was. He wasn't even tempted to watch the floor pass by below them. By the time Dean had lowered them to the floor, he was leaning away from the edge of Dean's hand just to be doubly safe. This was no easier than standing on the palm with a bundle of chocolate in his arms.  
  
Once back on solid ground, however, Oscar was grateful for a slightly more familiar view. Between the beds, with dark landscapes stretching out beneath them in either direction, with the nightstand towering in front of them. This view of the furniture was his normal. Oscar couldn't recall a single time he'd ever actually climbed to the top of a nightstand.  
  
The obvious difference in his terrain now, of course, was Dean's shadow over them. Oscar could look straight up and see Dean's face above them from behind, while the top of the nightstand loomed in front.  
  
Now, he'd need to use one to actually teach another kid how to climb that distance. Sam needed to learn so that he could get around even if the big brother kneeling over them wasn't there to carry him. All it would take was one ambitious spider and Dean off somewhere else to hurt someone there size.  
  
"Well, okay," he began, opening up his own safety pin. "Wanna try to get your pin to the edge? 'S'okay if it doesn't catch right away. I don't always get it right either."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eternal kiddo cutes for the win! Dean will make them both smile.
> 
> Next: December 23rd


	12. Climbing Lessons

Sam absently opened up his safety pin, feeling the cool metal under his fingertips. The point wasn’t as sharp as it would have been if he were still human, but the point was enough to do damage if he gave it enough force.  
  
He took a step back, staring straight up at the nightstand. His nemesis. Behind them, Dean switched to a cross legged position so he’d be comfortable. This type of learning might take some time.  
  
The first toss went wide. The pin didn’t come within an inch of the nightstand during its arch. Sam was, however, surprised to see how much air it caught. It sailed up the two, three feet without a problem. He missed his catch and it clattered to the ground a few inches away.  
  
Sam’s ears burned and he knew the others were watching him without having to look back. He gathered up his pin as fast as he could, getting back into position. His second toss was carefully thought out, and this time it actually landed on the wooden surface. Tongue sticking out in concentration, he tried to carefully pull it towards himself to get it to catch the way Oscar had earlier when he’d climb to the table.  
  
The pin reached the edge and teetered. His heart jumped for a second, thinking he’d got it on his second try, but the pin slipped off the edge. Sam let out a hiss of frustration. “Dammit!” he blurted out.  
  
Oscar stepped forward and caught the pin out of the air before it hit the carpet, his eyes wide with understanding. He remembered being just as frustrated when he first learned how to do this, and he'd even been younger than Sam. It was harder than his mother had made it look, and harder than Oscar made it look now.  
  
But Oscar had gotten good at it out of a desperate necessity. At least Sam didn't have that breathing down his neck while he learned. He had an audience, sure, but at least he was safe.  
  
"It's the hardest part," he told the other boy, handing his pin back. "Here ... l-lemme show you how I do it," he offered, standing back again to take aim. His own safety pin wobbled a little in the air, but still clattered over the side of the nightstand where he'd anticipated. He bit his lower lip while he slowly pulled his pin back towards the edge. When part of it was teetering, he stopped and glanced over to Sam.  
  
"The string is really sensitive so you just gotta be careful with how much you tug on it." With those words, he pulled lightly on his own thread, teasing the pin into place until it slipped into place, anchoring itself against the edge of the nightstand. Oscar then gave it a stronger yank to make sure it was secure.  
  
Sam pursed his lips as he watched, trying to memorize every move that Oscar made. A familiar single minded determination had fallen over him now that he was learning how to throw his new grappling hook, and he _would_ get it right, no matter how many times he had to try.  
  
Biting his lips, he held the pin up and stared at the edge of the nightstand far above their heads. He let himself focus on that and only that, pushing out any and all other distractions from his mind. The background noise from outside dropped away and Dean ceased to exist behind them. He couldn’t even hear the steady gusts of breath from the large teenager as his line of sight narrowed to the nightstand. It was all he could see or focus on.  
  
It was with that level of concentration that Sam tossed his pin for the third time. Once more, it landed at the top. Once more, he carefully pulled it to the edge. He paused with it teetering, just the way Oscar had done, then gave a light tug on the string.  
  
This time, it didn’t fall down at him. He saw it actually catch on the side, anchoring itself in place on the edge. Sam glanced over at Oscar, his concentration falling away as he came back to himself. “Did I get it?” he asked excitedly.  
  
Oscar stared straight up, comparing the way Sam's pin anchored against the nightstand with his own. They looked about the same, and he grinned. It was very likely that Sam had done it, after slipping into what looked like pure determination over the task.  
  
He inched over to test it, just to be sure. Oscar took hold of Sam's thread and hauled down on it as hard as he could, even picking his feet off the ground to swing on it for half a second. The pin held fast and his smile brightened. "You got it!" he cheered, looking up at Dean too, sharing in the pride of the moment.  
  
"Great job, Sam. Now you can climb it," he said, going back to his own thread where he'd left it and taking hold. "This part's easier than getting the pin in place, I think."  
  
Sam took his thread back in hand with a grin, ignoring a finger tousling his hair. Dean’s own way of congratulating him. He couldn’t even get annoyed at him at that moment, knowing Dean just didn’t want to be left out. For the first time in a month, Sam wasn’t the one who felt out of place with his size.  
  
Sam pushed at the finger, shooting his grin up at Dean to show he didn’t really mind. But it was time to try climbing now and he didn’t want any distractions. He gave a tug on the string, mirroring Oscar’s actions to test how stable the line was and if the pin was going to slip from its anchor. He weighed more than the younger kid so it wouldn’t be a good idea to just climb without testing it himself.  
  
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to steady himself. This was going to be a lot different than climbing up a rope in a gym class where there were knots to help out, and a ton different than climbing up a tree outside. His hazel eyes opened and he stared up at the towering length above him. He could do this.  
  
With that, Sam pulled himself off the ground. The thread, thin as it was to a human, was actually a pretty good rope. It gave him plenty of grip and he could see why Oscar used it so often. His arms shook a little as he went, not used to climbing up with just his arms. He got a few inches off the ground, and a hand moved underneath his dangling feet. Sam might get annoyed at Dean’s overprotectiveness from time to time, but he was thankful for the help this time. If he fell off, even from only a few inches in the air, he could easily break an arm or a leg. Determined, Sam pulled himself up another inch.  
  
Oscar waited until Sam was a few inches ahead of him to follow. He pulled himself off the ground and twisted the thread once around his tiny leg to secure it, pinching it between his cloth shoes. Climbing that way, he was able to pull himself arm over arm and catch up, though he held back to be able to keep an eye on Sam's technique.  
  
Of course, the hand sliding under him as soon as he was high enough did make Oscar tense up a little. He wasn't used to having a safety net at all, let alone one made out of a human hand. He knew he'd avoid getting hurt if he fell onto it, and he knew he could trust Dean to be careful. All the same the thought of falling right onto a hand bigger than him was nerve wracking.  
  
Nerve wracking, and he knew he'd be very very embarrassed if he ended up falling down while he had an audience.  
  
About halfway up the nightstand, Oscar opened his mouth to call out a tip to Sam. He could see the other boy's arms were shaking from exertion, and he could try to pinch the rope with his shoes like Oscar did (and considering his shoes were actually shrunken human ones, they might work even better for the technique). But, having his focus distracted and his body turned to watch someone else climb was just what needed to happen for Oscar's own grip to slip.  
  
He gasped in surprise and fell backwards, but he only flailed his limbs for a moment before he landed on his back on a somewhat plushy surface. After the impact, Oscar regained his breath and got an upside down view of Dean looking down at him.  
  
"Oh _no,_ ” he groaned, covering his face with his hands to hide the blushing erupting there. He'd gone and made a mistake while he was supposed to be _teaching_ someone. It was mortifying.  
  
Dean got a huge grin on his face at the embarrassed reaction from Oscar. “Guess we should get you some practice along with Sammy,” he lightly teased the kid that had landed in his palm. He held his hand so the thread fell into the center next to Oscar.  
  
Sam twisted in place, wrapping his arms around the thread so he could see what the excitement was. He added his legs to keep himself stable, watching Oscar with wide eyes. If Dean hadn’t been around, the other boy would have fallen down from over a foot up in the air. A dangerous height for either of the smaller kids to fall. Even now, he could see the height lurking past the edge of the hand under him as it swayed in place. Dean was too distracted with the other kid to notice his hand moving.  
  
“You okay, Oscar?” Sam called out, clutching the thread.  
  
Oscar sat up and hastily got to his feet to take hold of the thread once more. His face was absolutely burning from the mistake, and he had to take a moment to compose himself after the brief scare. Even though he was embarrassed, he was at least glad Dean was there. He could have broken something if he fell that far.  
  
"I-I'm fine," he mumbled, starting on the climb once more. "I was just turning too far. Slipped." Even excusing the mistake didn't help with the blushing that just wouldn't leave his cheeks. He was supposed to be the one who knew what he was doing, after all.  
  
Now that he knew Oscar was all right after tumbling into Dean’s grasp, Sam resumed his own climb. It was hard to get back into the swing of things. Every single move he made would send the thread shaking. The hand under him was all that kept him going. He knew if he made a mistake like Oscar, the most he might get was some extra teasing before getting back on the rope.  
  
Dean kept both of his hands steady under the tiny forms, newly motivated to keep a close eye on them. He couldn’t help but fret at the idea of either of the tiny children climbing on their own. One slip was all it would take for them to get hurt. And yet, based on Sam’s normal stubbornness, he had an idea it would be almost impossible to stop the kid once he got started. Not that he could bring himself to try. It really was a huge danger for Sam to be unable to get himself around on his own.  
  
Of course, that just meant Dean was going to have to shadow _both_ kids while they were practicing, no matter how much Sam bitched.  
  
It took about five more minutes before Sam carefully pulled himself over the top edge of the nightstand, small feet briefly kicking in midair while he shoved himself up with his arms. He rolled onto the shelf and flopped onto his back with a huge sigh to wait for Oscar to reach the top.  
  
Thankfully, Oscar didn't have any more embarrassing mishaps on the way up the nightstand. He focused on his own task, instead, seeing that Sam had a good enough grasp of the activity that he didn't need to watch so closely. He was only a few seconds behind the other boy thanks to his setback.  
  
He pulled himself over the edge of the nightstand, also kicking his little legs for balance as he hoisted his body over. As soon as he made it, he grabbed his pin and pulled it up with him so he couldn't accidentally knock it all the way to the floor.  
  
The blushing had almost completely left his cheeks, though some lingered out of sheer embarrassment and also some exertion. Even his small weight was enough that his thin arms could get a bit of a work out just hauling himself around. "W-well, you did really good, Sam. You're already pretty good at climbing."  
  
Sam grinned broadly as he sat back up. He leaned over to pick up his own pin from the edge. His _own_ pin. “Thanks!” He stared down at the ordinary, everyday object that could now be his way around the world without any help, and carefully started to wrap the thread around it. He didn’t want to risk tangling it at all, and he’d definitely be using it more.  
  
Dean shifted back to his knees, and leaned forward a little to see them better now that he didn’t have to spot the two youngsters with his hands. “I don’t know about you two, but I think it’s time to get some food,” he announced as he put a hand on his knee and pushed himself off the ground. “How’s Chinese sound?”  
  
Sam brightened at the thought. They hadn’t had the money for food like this in a long time, but with the credit card left with them they could afford to splurge. There was more than enough on it to get them by for the entire month. It was probably a lingering side-effect of John’s guilt for Sam’s curse that had caused him to leave such a large sum of money in Dean’s hands, something that didn’t often happen.  
  
“Egg rolls?” he asked Dean, eyes growing a little round at the thought of how big egg rolls would be now that he was small. He wouldn’t have to worry about running out of food.  
  
Dean made a face of disgust. “Can’t you order something with a little more taste sometime?” he complained a bit. Whenever Sam had leftovers, he always finished them off. After years of barely being able to get by, it went against his nature to let any kind of food go to waste, even the stuff that he didn’t like. He sighed when he saw the hopeful expectation on Sam’s face. He couldn’t say no to that. “Whatever. How about you, Oz?”  
  
Oscar flinched in surprise, blindsided by the question. He hadn't expected an offer like that, regardless of whether or not he actually understood what 'egg rolls' or 'Chinese' meant. He paused in reeling in his thread, glancing between the two brothers thoughtfully.  
  
They clearly both knew what they were after. And with Dean being so big, it'd be easy for him to make it happen. Oscar was not used to asking for something specific. He ate what was given to him and he appreciated it no matter what, because it could be the only meal he'd get in 24 hours.  
  
Living so sparsely didn't lend itself to picking a favorite food. Oscar took that to heart and had decided very early on that he liked all food. So after a long pause he finally shrugged.  
  
"Could I j-just ... have some of whatever you guys have? What _is_ Chinese?" He closed up his pin and started to wrap his thread around it carefully, same as Sam, to keep it neat before he stored it away. "I've never heard of anything like that."  
  
Dean walked off while Sam thought over Oscar’s questions. “It’s food that came from China,” he said helpfully. “It’s really good, but we don’t get to order it very often. You’ll love it, trust me.” He frowned thoughtfully. “Dean likes to get a bit of everything, so if you want to try stuff you’ll have plenty to pick from. Just don’t wait too long or it’ll be gone.” Sam could never decide whether he should worry about the fact that Dean could finish off a veritable mountain of food compared to him, and usually just chose to not think about it.  
  
Dean’s shadow fell over both of them as the teenager came back over. “Ha ha, very funny, pint-size. Y’know, _you_ used to eat like that too. It’s not just me.” He sat down on the edge of the bed with a menu in hand, flipping through it. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he read through the offers.  
  
Oscar didn't say it, but he was certain that _he_ would eat that way too, if given the opportunity. He was used to saving aside portions of food, though, so having to limit himself was no longer much of a task. He knew about how much he could get by on until he needed to eat again at a minimum.  
  
But now, they were about to have a portion of food big enough for a _human_ nearby. And the brothers had suggested that he was welcome to it. Oscar couldn't help the smile that began to warm upon his face. "So ... I could really try _any_ of it? You don't mind?"  
  
He was going to have to hope they let him keep coming back, at this rate. Oscar was already eating better than he usually did, if they were going to give him an entire meal again after the pizza the day before. His eyes were brighter than usual and his body had more energy, just from being able to eat enough pizza that he was full. And they might let him do that again with this food from China (wherever that was).  
  
Dean’s eyes flashed to Oscar for a second before returning to the menu. “Dude, of course. ‘Sides, it’s not like either of you will make much of a dent in the food anyway. Sam always snitches stuff when he thinks I’m not paying attention.” Finding what he wanted, he reached over their heads to pick up the phone.  
  
Tucking the phone between his ear and his shoulder, Dean dialed out the number for the restaurant. “Hey, Lucky Chen’s? I’d like to place an order for delivery…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember being a kid and not liking the most random things, like cheese on pizza or eggs at all... I'm sure in a few years Dean will be hoarding the egg rolls. Yum.
> 
> Next: December 28th


	13. Friends

While Dean ordered himself General Tso’s Chicken, egg rolls and a Pu Pu Platter, Sam picked himself up off the nightstand at last, shaking out his arms and legs after the arduous climb. “Does it get any easier?” he asked Oscar, talking about how hard it had been to get from the floor to the top. The table would be even _more_ work for both of them, and Oscar had managed that one completely on his own.  
  
Oscar nodded while he tucked his pin and thread away in his cloth bag, patting the worn out container once it was closed once more. It didn't have much in it, but on a normal day, when he'd only be in the room to collect dropped food, it was essential for holding all of his findings. For now, it only held his pin, a few very small crumbs, some scraps of cloth, his knife, and a piece of broken plastic he'd found the other day.  
  
Maybe Sam and Dean would even let him bring some of the food home, if he worked up the courage to ask. His pantry could actually have some options in it for once. His mother had always been better at keeping it stocked, despite there being two people to feed. Oscar was still getting the hang of it.  
  
"Just gotta get used to it. And remember to use your legs, too. It makes it easier on your arms." He stretched his own legs out in front of himself where he sat. "M-my arms used to get so sore before I got the hang of it." He remembered his first long climb his arms had been shaking nonstop. When his mom had pointed out how to transfer some of the strain to his core and his legs, things got a lot better, but even Oscar forgot sometimes.  
  
He smiled faintly then, standing up and brushing himself off. "It helps that you really wanna learn ... that'll make it easier too."  
  
“You bet,” Sam said. “I don’t wanna get stuck anywhere ever again. I already…” He trailed off for a second, glancing up at his looming brother. But Dean was intently giving out the address of their motel, and not paying any mind to the small kids on the nightstand. “I got stuck on a desk one day,” he said in a lower voice to Oscar. “I couldn’t _do_ anything! And our dad was making Dean help with the cars outside, so I had no one I could get to help me anywhere close.” He scrunched his eyes closed. “It was scary,” he admitted.  
  
Oscar frowned empathetically. Sam may be older than him and quite a bit taller besides, but he didn't have the skills Oscar had been building from so early on. He didn't have the option to hide himself anywhere in the room (or in the walls) like Oscar was so used to. Knowing how scary it was out in the rooms, Oscar couldn't fathom being unable to get to a safer spot.  
  
"I understand," he said quietly. "Being out in the open is scary. E-even now I feel weird 'cause I'm not hiding behind anything. When I first saw you hanging around in here I wondered how you did it."  
  
Sam paused, then went on, taking advantage of Dean’s distraction. “I never thought I’d feel that way,” he confided. “I mean, a room like this used to be _normal,_ and now it’s…” He tried to gesture widely to display the sheer _openness_ that was around him. “But with _Dean_ it’s not so bad. I mean, he acts normal and doesn’t talk down to me. When I first woke up like this…”   
  
Sam froze mid-sentence as the giant sitting next to them shifted the phone. “Fifteen minutes?” Dean said. “Awesome.” He reached over the other two to hang up the phone.  
  
Sam sent Oscar a look. _Later,_ it said. There were some things that he didn’t want to share with Dean just yet. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the whole size thing and he had a feeling that until he came to terms with it on his own there were some things that he couldn’t explain to Dean.  
  
Oscar nodded to show he understood, both Sam's meaning and the words he had let fall from his lips just seconds ago. Oscar had lived with those thoughts his whole life; they were burned into him. And he'd never been outside to see how big the world really was, like Sam had been.  
  
He glanced over at the phone after Dean replaced it in its cradle. Fifteen minutes, and the human at the other end of it would have food right at the door for them. Humans had so many things they could easily do. Oscar did find himself a little envious of the resources at times.  
  
"Once I tried to pretend I was gonna call someone and have them bring food," he confessed with a sheepish grin. "Mom swore she once saw someone order a sandwich as long as the _table_." Oscar raised his eyebrows, impressed by the idea even if the story was just embellished by his mother to make him laugh.  
  
Dean absently drummed his fingers on his knee at that. “That sounds good,” he said, trying to think if there were any sub shops close by. He could always drop in on one on their way home from school one day. “We should get one.”  
  
He shot a look over his shoulder at the silent tv. “Let's give climbing lessons a rest for the night,” he suggested, holding out his hands. “I’m sure there’s _something_ on right now.”  
  
Sam hopped right on, holding his pin at his side. “Dibs on the remote!” he declared.  
  
Oscar took a few steps towards the offered hands before pausing to think about how strange it was that he was walking _towards_ a pair of hands. And he'd only yesterday been trying desperately to push them away, to escape the dark cavern that they could form between them. He'd been terrified to the point of frantic tears, and now he was going to willingly step onto them.  
  
He wondered what the others his size might say about it. Then again, they were far on the other side of the motel. They probably wouldn't find out. It had taken them months to even find out Oscar was living by himself, after all.  
  
He glanced over the edge as he inched onto Dean's hands, making sure he was far enough away from the side so he didn't tumble off. At least these hands had turned out to be safe. In fact, Dean's hand being there had saved Oscar a broken bone or two. He was lucky.  
  
He was kind of excited to try watching the TV. He'd never had a chance to do that, either. Hanging around these brothers was giving Oscar so many new experiences. He was glad they were going to be in the _Knight's Inn_ for a month. "What do you watch?" he asked curiously.  
  
While the hands lifted up into the air, Sam bounced forward a bit excitedly. “I like _Sonic,_ but Dean always wants to watch _X-Men,_ ” he proclaimed.  
  
Dean snorted as he put them down at the foot of the bed so they’d be closer to the television. “I’m pretty sure we’re both outta luck,” he pointed out as they got off of his hand. The small footsteps were light against his skin, and the almost unnoticeable weight vanished as they both bounced onto the bed. “Those shows ended already.”  
  
“Aww!” Sam said, disappointed. He twisted around to see the alarm clock between the beds, and sure enough, it was after the time cartoons were on.  
  
Dean dropped the controller next to the other two as he stretched out on the bed. His feet didn’t quite reach the pillows from where he settled down. With his arms crossed in front of him, he relaxed to wait for the others to pick a show.  
  
Sam bounced up and stepped down on the remote as forcefully as he could manage. The television flickered on. It wasn’t the best tv to be found, but it had color and access to the majority of channels that they’d want. Of course, being a motel room tv it also had that annoying habit of going back to the start of the channels every time it was turned off, so Sam had to search out where they’d been the other day. His small boots pressed down on the thick rubber button repeatedly, determined to get there on his own. If he asked Dean for help, he might as well give up control of the remote completely.  
  
Oscar wasn't sure where he should focus his attention at first. A human was lying just behind them, casually and calmly waiting for Sam to choose a show. Sam was diligently working a remote that outweighed the smaller children by several times, stomping on the buttons to get them to register his selection. And of course, the TV filled the room with more flickering light as the channels changed. Blips of sound escaped the speakers before they were changed again.  
  
He ended up looking down, at the bedspread he stood on. It was springy and soft, and he still hadn't gotten over how comfortable it had to be. Even standing on it for a while yesterday, he'd felt more like he was on a cloud.  
  
He sat down after a few seconds, his legs crossed and his hands in his lap while he watched the TV image change in time with a bright green number in the corner. He didn't know what Sam was looking to watch, if the shows he wanted to see were already over; Oscar didn't know anything about any shows. But he was almost positive he'd be fascinated with wherever they ended up.  
  
A thought struck Oscar and he turned his head so he could address Sam and try to include Dean in what he was about to say, too. "Th-thanks for letting me stay out here even though lessons are done," he told them earnestly, eyes full of gratitude and wonder at all the new things he was getting to try. "I like the walls but there's not as much to do there."  
  
Dean arched his eyebrows at the kid. “You can _stay_ as long as you want, Oz.”  
  
“Yeah!” Sam paused in the middle of flipping through channels to agree with Dean. “We never get to hang out with anyone. Our dad never lets anyone come over, and almost never lets us go visit them.”  
  
Dean gave a half shrug from where he was laying on the bed. “You don’t have to be teachin’ Sam every second you’re out here, anyway. Everyone needs to take a break once in awhile.”  
  
Sam went back to flipping channels. “Like you from homework?” he teased.  
  
Dean froze for a second. “I’m not the _only_ one that took a break,” he said begrudgingly. Something on the screen caught his attention. “Star Trek!”  
  
Sam took his foot off the remote. “Really?” he asked with a dubious glance towards Dean.  
  
“There is _nothing_ wrong with a little Star Trek from time to time,” Dean said defensively. The channels flicked back to the channel with the movie on, and he grinned. “Star Trek IV. Perfect.”  
  
Oscar faced the screen with a smile lighting his face just as much as the TV did. He was entertained by the short argument between the brothers, something he never thought he'd see. A human listening to and bantering with someone the size of his fingers... like an equal. It was unlike any of the situations they always warned kids like Oscar about.  
  
Humans weren't supposed to listen, because they were big and powerful and didn't have to. But Dean did anyway. He even listened to Oscar and made sure he was as secure as Sam when he carried them in his hands.  
  
Oscar was also immensely glad that they told him he could be around more often. He could actually _relax_ instead of fretting about where he'd get his next meal. This time, it would be on its way in a little over ten minutes. And he'd be able to eat plenty of it without worry. It was so generous of them to share their food with him like that.  
  
One other factor kept the smile on his face. Oscar had never really had friends before, and he was excited to have made some. Even if they were about as strange as they could be for someone like him to befriend. He lifted the strap of his bag over his head, setting the all-important container next to himself; he could afford to relax a little here. He was among _friends._  
  
"So what _is_ 'Star Trek?’ " he asked after a few minutes of not knowing what was going on on the TV.  
  
Dean rested his head on his arms. “Star Trek’s great!” he said with a grin, knowing Sam would always choose Star Wars over it. “Here they’re gonna get their ship, and it’s barely hanging together with duct tape and hope, to travel back in time. There’s no whales in their time, and they need to save them so they can tell the alien probe that it doesn’t need to destroy the earth.” He took a breath, ready to go on.  
  
Sam managed to jump in before Dean got himself back on track and barreled over Oscar’s confusion. “It’s a story where people go up in space in these big starships,” he tried to explain a little of the background. “They save the world and help people.”  
  
Oscar's head spun, and Sam's explanation didn't do much to slow it down. It helped a little, but he was still processing a lot of what Dean said, and trying to count up just how many of the words he just heard were in English. He watched the screen for a few seconds, his eyes wide with equal parts confusion and wonder. Apparently the people on that - "Starship," he muttered to himself - were about to go and save the entire world. He'd never realized people came up with such amazing stories.  
  
"Up in space, that's," Oscar mused aloud, pointing upwards and trying to picture it. He'd only ever seen images of the sky on the TVs in the motel, and those views were brief and usually blocked by something. "That's a long way to go." And the world was big, Oscar knew, even if he had no concept for _how_ big.  
  
"How're they gonna save all the whales? What happened to 'em?" he asked, still not fully fathoming the scope of the plot but playing along anyway. There were a lot of things Oscar didn't know, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to enjoy it regardless.  
  
Sam stretched out on the cover, lying on his stomach. “Well, in the future, there’s no whales because some nasty people hunted them to extinction.” He chewed his bottom lip as he thought it over. “That’s why Captain Kirk and Spock gotta go back in time. They can get two whales and bring them to the future and help the whales survive.”  
  
Dean rested his head on his arms as Sam told Oscar the basics of Star Trek. He knew the food would be there soon and didn’t want to get pulled too far into the story until it was at the door. It was fun listening to Sam talk about the movie. He always claimed he was more into Star Wars, but he still knew all the Star Trek facts and could list them off the top of his head. They sat around and watched television a lot when their dad was on hunts. There was plenty of downtime when they weren’t doing homework or research.  
  
Oscar listened to Sam's explanation with keen interest. He had to refrain from blurting out more questions after he was finished. It was likely they would only lead to even more questions and they'd spend all their time trying to catch him up. He really wanted to know how Kirk and Spock were going to travel through time, and he wanted to know if anyone actually did that in real life.  
  
"Well, I hope they make it in time," he said earnestly, turning back to face the screen in time for the transporter pad to make someone disappear in a CGI trick. His questions could wait.  
  
It wasn't like this knowledge was imperative for him to learn. He wouldn't be able to do anything with it in the long run. He'd still be at the motel, scraping out his small existence. At least he'd have some fun for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oscar has friends he can count on for the first time ever, and they're really hoping he wants to stick around with them, crazy antics and all.
> 
> Sam? Dean? Slow down on the Star Trek explanations. He's never seen the show, goofs.
> 
> Next: December 30th


	14. A Few Extras

It wasn’t much longer before there was a knocking at the door of the motel. Oscar squeaked quietly and flinched, causing himself to tumble over where he sat. Dean glanced up and saw the time. It had to be their food.  
  
“Okay guys,” he said to the two others that were sitting in front of him. “Just sit tight. I’ll take care of it.”  
  
Before getting off the bed, Dean grabbed one of the pillows from the top and put it alongside Sam and Oscar to shield them from view. He made sure that they couldn’t be seen at all before he stepped up to the door. Even a simple glance by the delivery boy that revealed a tiny kid that was smaller than an action figure _moving_ could put them both at risk. No one could know what was in Dean’s room.  
  
Dean had to remove the chain before unlocking the door. He’d learned at a young age that they had to take every precaution.  
  
And sometimes not even that was enough to keep out the dark creatures that lurked in the night.  
  
Angry eyes and a flash of light haunted him at the back of his mind as he stepped outside into the open air. He did his best to keep the delivery boy, who was burdened down with brown paper bags, from spotting the white marks on the floor from the salt they’d scattered around. Dean dug out his wallet as he let the door close behind him.  
  
The door falling closed got another flinch out of Oscar, though not as bad as the jolt from hearing someone knock on the door. It was such a simple sound, one he’d heard plenty of times. Every time, he thought about how big someone would have to be to make so much noise against the impossibly big door.  
  
He tilted his head back to peer at the top of the pillow Dean used to hide them, glad for it. Even just the brief breeze from the outside world put him on edge for just a moment. Out in the room, away from the walls with nowhere to quickly dive into to hide … it was unusual for him. He was enjoying himself, at least. But the lurking reminder remained in the back of his mind.  
  
“That was so _fast,_ ” he muttered, sitting up and loosely wrapping his arms around his legs. He spared his bag one glance to make sure it was still within reach before looking over to Sam. “I’m always a little surprised by how fast humans can do everything … Even just getting food.”  
  
Sam sat up next to him. "They've got _cars,_ " he said helpfully. "Plus bikes and trains and all kinds of ways to get around faster. Not to mention skateboards!"   
  
His eyes were wide, and it was understandable why. When he'd been the size of a normal human, anything like that wouldn't be out of the ordinary. But now, the Impala alone was massive. It was like exploring a cathedral on the inside on the rare occasion he got the chance. He'd even braved going under the seat once with Dean curiously peering under after him. He'd found any quarters he could, and when John wasn't at the motel they'd skipped out for a few hours and hit up the local arcade. Sam got to enjoy candy from the machines while Dean entertained himself on the original Mario Bros., with helpful pointers from Sam when he dared to poke his head out of the pocket.  
  
Oscar nodded along. He had heard about one or two of those things, of course. It was tough not to, living in a place that saw so many people passing through. Once someone even brought their bike into a room. Oscar had seen it from the vent, and marveled at how big it was. The wires of the huge wheels were almost as thick as his arms.  
  
The TVs were also often filled with images of cars, so he knew what those looked like, too. Oscar realized, after a few seconds, how limited his experience must seem to the brothers. They knew all about what was out there, what the humans had. And he hadn't even been outside before. Oscar hadn't even gone to the other end of the _motel_ by himself before.  
  
"Mom told me that sometimes people like us try to get in cars and stuff to find new places to live. Gotta be real careful, but I think it's probably true. It _can't_ just be this motel," he mused aloud. "I think I'd be too worried to try something like that."  
  
If anything, Sam’s eyes got wider. “But cars are really _dangerous_ if the humans don’t know you're there!” he exclaimed. “The doors are heavy, and high off the ground. If it closes when you try and get in, you’ll get squished because it locks closed. Only a human can get it open. I have to be with Dean if we even get close to the Impala.”  
  
He tried to think of ways for people their size to stow away in a car. Getting in a bag would be safer than _climbing_ , but all it would take was a second’s glance inside the bag to be seen. If the human knew about them, it wasn’t likely they’d be getting out of the car on their own… there was a good chance of captivity. He shivered, drawing his legs close. He didn’t like his new perspective when he thought of what it was like without Dean around. Too vulnerable, too easy to get hurt.  
  
Oscar frowned faintly, wondering what train of thought he’d inspired in Sam. He fully agreed with the other boy, of course. It did sound far too dangerous to try to get in a car. And yet, he couldn’t believe that smaller folk like himself only lived in this one motel in the middle of wherever they were.   
  
A sound beyond the huge pillow stopped him from continuing on the subject.  
  
The door to the room creaked open, letting the last light of day spill in with a bright gleam. Dean was waving the other human off with a “Thanks, man!” as he pushed it the rest of the way open with his shoulder. He had two huge bags in hand as he let the door close again, putting the chain in immediately.  
  
“Grub,” he announced as he came back over to the bed. Instead of sitting on it, this time he settled to the side and pushed off the pillow he’d propped up next to the smaller pair. He wasted no time prying the staples off the bags that had been used to seal them shut. One staple he managed to catch, but the other shot off towards the dresser. Dean didn’t notice, too interested in the mouthwatering smells that came out of the bag the moment it opened.  
  
He got a pile of napkins and spread them out over the covers and started to dig out the myriad items that were inside. The duck sauce he tried to put on an entire pile of napkins, only vaguely worried about it spilling. This time, he was prepared for two smaller kids, and dug an extra bottlecap out of his pocket to fill with coke.  
  
Grabbing some of the wontons, he started in on the food. “Help yourselves,” he mumbled around the food, gesturing widely at the array.  
  
Oscar almost forgot what he and Sam were talking about. The strong, savory smell of the food washed over him like a cloud of dust, clinging to him and making him realize how hungry he’d gotten over the course of the day. Before him was a veritable _mountain_ of food, and he got slowly to his feet to survey all of it.  
  
He had no idea where to even start. There was such an assortment arranged in front of the two smaller kids. One box was full of pieces of chicken bigger than they were, covered in a thick sauce that Oscar was willing to bet would be a nightmare to clean off. He focused his attention on the other foods while he knelt to pick up his bag and sling it over his shoulder again.  
  
Oscar hesitated to walk any closer to the food. There were several things that looked so good they made his mouth water, even not knowing precisely what they were. But they still belonged to a human … and part of Oscar was still caught up on the idea that a human would share with him.  
  
He fidgeted his hands absently and glanced over at Sam. “Wh-what, um. What should I have?” he asked curiously.  
  
"Umm..." Sam thought it over as he came up to his own eggroll. Not that he wouldn't hesitate to snitch some of Dean's food, but his brother almost never ordered eggrolls on his own. So Sam had to make sure Dean got them if he was craving them. He'd never understand it.  
  
"You can have some of my eggroll," he said with a grin. "There's plenty. And the pork fried rice has lots of good stuff in it, and the grains are easy to hold." It was better than trying to wield chopsticks, at least. He and Dean had always ended up trying to swordfight with them when John ordered Chinese and Japanese.  
  
Sam pointed out the container that had the rice, then the duck sauce. "And that tastes good on _everything,_ " he said.  
  
Oscar followed Sam to the eggroll after looking over the things he suggested. The rice looked good, too, and easier than anything else to eat. He'd have to give it a try. He'd have to give _all of it_ a try, if he managed not to fill up on one thing.  
  
The smell only got stronger once he was among the food. He made sure to pay attention to where Dean's hands were. At best, it'd be humiliating to accidentally be swept up with some food, and at worst, it'd be terrifying. _Especially_ if the human teen wasn’t paying attention when it happened. With all the things around them throwing off their own powerful aromas, losing one's guard could be disconcertingly easy.  
  
The eggroll was bigger than both Sam and Oscar combined. It looked heavy, and a bit of heat haze wavered just over the top of it. Oscar could feel the warmth radiating off of it just as easily as he smelled its milder aroma.  
  
"I don't think I've seen _this much_ food all in one place from this close before," he told Sam in a hush, his eyes wide in appreciation for the feast around them. "Is Dean gonna be able to eat all of it?"  
  
Sam couldn't help but grimace at that. "Oh, he will," he whispered back so Dean wouldn't hear them talking about them. "So make sure to grab what you want before he gets there."  
  
It was odd. Once upon a time, he'd look at the food they had now, one meal and one (large) appetizer, and it wouldn't seem like an excessive amount of food. These days, he couldn't decide if it bothered him or not, watching the others in his family eat food that was bigger than he was. The fact that Sam could _fit in Dean's mouth_ had terrified him in the beginning.  
  
Now, he knew he was safe with Dean, but that was only one of the many reasons he didn't want any strangers to know about him. His size gave him a severe disadvantage with anyone else. He hated the fact that it felt like he _needed_ Dean some days.  
  
 _But now I'm learning to climb without help,_ he thought to himself. _I'll be able to escape if I get stranded. I won't have to be reliant on them anymore._  
  
Dean kept eating, only partially paying attention to the two kids that were standing in his food. His attention was having a hard time staying focused, with two tiny kids standing next to an eggroll larger than they were, and Star Trek playing on the tv to the side. He swallowed a large bite of food, arching his eyebrows when he saw Sam talking in a voice that was too soft to hear. But soon enough the television stole his attention away and he went back to the show.  
  
Sam gestured at the steak teriyaki. "You should definitely try _that,_ " he said emphatically. "Those are great even if they're a little messy, and they'll be gone in no time."  
  
Oscar already had a bit of eggroll shell in his hands, some shreds of the vegetables within cooling on top of it. He stared at the food Sam pointed out, the 'teriyaki,' thinking that it looked about as good as Sam said it was. Oscar looked more closely at the foods around them while he nibbled on the small bit of eggroll he'd taken. It all looked better and better the more he looked.  
  
So far, Sam had recommended a number of things. Oscar glanced between them, his mouth twisted into a thoughtful little frown as he considered what he might try next. He finished off his small portion of eggroll and made a quick decision, inching towards the rice.  
  
It was the easiest option. He could start with that. Oscar picked up one of the grains once he reached the box, and nibbled on the end. His eyebrows lifted from the simple flavor that had been cooked into the rice, and the grain was half gone before he paused, holding it in his mouth, to slip a few extras into his bag.  
  
He couldn't help it, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oscar needs some help stocking up his shelves, guys. Get that small kid some more good food!
> 
> Next: January 4th


	15. Sleepy Kiddos

Sam found himself a clear spot to sit on the napkin, his arms full of his food selections. He scattered the food around, eating his own piece of rice as he side-eyed the television in the room. If he stopped to think about it, he was eating just as much as Dean comparatively, despite the fact that to his regular-sized brother, it would be a scattering of crumbs.  
  
Dean glanced over, briefly taking note of where everyone was before he grabbed one of the steak teriyaki sticks. He barely nibbled at it, staring at the sight of Sam eating a piece of rice the size of his hand. It might as well be a hot dog at his size.  
  
Oscar had a moment to collect some food for himself once the brothers settled down. The less messy things saw some extras being slipped into his bag just in case, while he tried not to make a complete mess of his hands or his knife when he cut away slivers of the teriyaki steak and the chicken. It was a good thing he was walking on napkins.  
  
He made his way back towards Sam, flinching once when an upswing of the music on the television startled him. Thankfully, he didn't drop anything. He'd hate to make a mess out of their hospitality. When he settled down, he had a large meal in front of himself. It was definitely enough food for three or four of his normal daily meals.  
  
Before he tried any of it, Oscar looked curiously at one of the bottlecaps of soda that Dean had set aside for them. It looked like a lot of the bubbles had stopped fizzling out of the drink, and though he was skeptical of a drink that was so active, he wanted to try it.  
  
He opened up his bag, carefully pushing aside the food he'd stored in there (some of which he'd wrapped up in scraps of cloth) to retrieve his cup. It was made of aluminum foil, bent and shaped into a more manageable drink container for him, and conveniently it left him with a smaller portion in case he didn't like the soda.  
  
He dipped the cup in the dark brown drink and lifted it to his lips. His first drink of soda was met with a wrinkled nose and a surprised expression. "Oh, it almost stings," he commented, staring at the drink in his homemade cup.  
  
Sam nodded in reply, his eyes glued curiously on the aluminum cup in Oscar’s hand. In all the time since shrinking, he hadn’t thought of anything like that. Dean and John had argued once about finding him dishes from a dollhouse, but so far nothing had come of it. Dean wanted something to help Sam feel normal again, even if it was silly plastic silverware with flowery patterns all over the place.  
  
“It’s a lot stronger since I shrank,” he mused out loud to the other kid. “And I didn’t let the bubbles settle the first time I drank it after my curse.” He winced at the memory. “It _hurt!_ It never did that when I was normal. So I gotta wait, and then it’s better.” He picked up his own bottlecap and took a sip from the clunky container. It was like taking a drink from a stew pot, and the bubbles that continued to rise to the surface would pop and sprinkle him with the light spray of soda. Despite all that, it was still tasty and good, and made Sam smile.  
  
A companionable silence fell over the three as they settled into their food and watching the movie. Oscar stared with wide eyes as things progressed on screen, not understanding a decent amount of it but not minding the fact. He even forgot more than once that he was out in the open, within reach of a human.  
  
The food eventually disappeared, most of it thanks to Dean's appetite, befitting a teenage boy. Oscar didn't leave much behind, either, out of what he'd selected for himself. The extras got tucked into his bag for later. He was getting away with a couple day's worth of meals at this rate.  
  
By the time the movie was drawing to a close, Oscar's eyelids were heavy. He tried to rub some of the sleepiness out of his eyes to stay awake long enough to at least see the ending and then get himself home. But the heavy feeling in his stomach was making that easier said than done.  
  
Sam was growing just as tired, but he tried to hang in there for the very end. Despite the way he’d argue for Star Wars first, he still enjoyed the storyline and the escape from looking around the room and remembering his small size.  
  
Dean was leaning against the bed, still sitting on the floor. He eyed the scattered napkins that the two kids were sitting near, remembering he’d have to clean all that up before collapsing into bed.  
  
A small smile came to his face as he spotted both of the others lying on the bed. Sam was stretched out with a bit of the cover bunched up to help act as a pillow, and his eyes were starting to droop. Oscar didn’t look far behind. As quietly as he could, Dean started to carefully pull the napkins off and stuff them in one of the bags, getting ready for the end of the movie.  
  
Oscar only spared Dean's hands a few glances as the human worked to clean up the remains of dinner. He shifted so he sat cross legged, and leaned his elbow on his knee so he could prop up his chin. The humans on the screen (and their friend who was not quite a human but looked pretty close, if severe) were so close to reaching their goal.  
  
Oscar yawned as the rescued whales were returned and the alien probe stopped trying to hurt the earth. He sat up straighter, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand before smiling at the result of the very bizarre mission he'd just watched. "They did it," he noted, in a voice that clearly illustrated how tired he was.  
  
After covering up one more yawn, Oscar dragged his bag towards himself with one sluggish hand. "I-I should probably go home," he announced.  
  
With everything cleaned up, Dean frowned dubiously at that. “You said you had to walk pretty far to get here, right?” He didn't like the thought of the young boy going back on his own when he was so tired. It might be safe, but if he slipped and fell, or ran into a spider, they'd have no way of knowing.  
  
Dean jabbed a thumb towards the other pillow on the bed, still in its spot. “We've got extra room,” he offered. “You can head back in the morning. When you're awake.”  
  
“Or you can come to school,” Sam mumbled tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. “Jus’ need Dean to do his homework…” He faded off halfway through his statement.  
  
Oscar glanced over at the pillow and sighed heavily. It looked _really_ comfortable to the tired kid. He hadn't had as much of a trying day as yesterday, but he was still fading fast. The content feeling of being warm and well fed was drawing him quickly to follow Sam in drifting off.  
  
"M-maybe," he mumbled. "But I shouldn't go to school," he added, trying to have more conviction but sounding just as tired as he was. He dragged himself to his feet, his bag hanging lazily over one shoulder. "Prob'ly not safe."  
  
“You can decide in the morning,” Dean said, hiding a smile. He stood up and brushed off his hands before stooping over the two small kids. Sam was gently gathered up and placed in the center of his palm and Oscar, who made it easier by standing, was swept up in the other hand. The distance from the foot of the bed to the pillow was quite a trek for both the kids and while Dean was sure Oscar would be able to make it there on his own just fine, he figured it would be better to just help out.  
  
He carried them over to the pillow and gently set them down. Sam sprawled out instantly, trying to open his eyes in surprised protest at where he was. “But there’s schoolwork…” he said with a yawn, trying to cover his mouth with his hand. “The teacher’s gonna be mad…”  
  
Dean brushed his bangs out of his face with the pad of his thumb. “I’ll take care of it, pint-size. Don’t you worry, okay? No one’s gonna get mad at you.”  
  
Sam seemed to take his reassurance, turning his head into the pillow and letting his eyes slip down. Dean grabbed the flannel shirt from nearby and draped it around the two small children. “This used to be Sam’s shirt,” he said in a hush to Oscar, explaining what he was doing. “Now he uses them to cover up with at night. It’s familiar.”  
  
Oscar brushed a hand over the soft, somewhat heavy material Dean had given them. Sam was already out like a light, and Oscar wasn't far behind. He merely nodded tiredly at the explanation, and shifted around to settle into the pillow. Any will to insist he go home was drowned out by how soft the pillow was.  
  
It was like lying on a cloud. And the shirt Dean set down was warm and cozy, almost as much as Oscar's pile of blankets on his own bed. He moved his bag aside so it lay near him but not too close so he wouldn't accidentally knock into it if he tossed and turned. Then, Oscar made sure his feet would stay warm, and curled up with the shirt drawn close under his chin  
  
Oscar barely managed to mumble out a "Thanks" before his eyes shut and his body fell into comfortable slumber on the plushiest surface he'd ever been on.  
  
Dean’s face softened as he watched both children slip into sleep, safe on the pillow. For himself, he went and hastily finished the homework. He didn’t want Sam to have to worry about any angry teachers (even though Dean doubted the teacher would even notice if he didn’t do it, the class was large and he was only going to be there for the month). Luckily it was just math.  
  
With that taken care of, he crawled into bed on his own side. His eyes were heavy as he wrapped an arm around the pillow Sam and Oscar were sleeping on, keeping them close so he could watch over them. As usual Sam didn’t even notice the world shift around him. He’d grown used to Dean’s overprotective side rearing up from time to time. Or almost constantly.  
  
Dean let out a heavy sigh, resting his cheek on the edge of their pillow. He dropped off into sleep, following their example.  
  
The room fell still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's gotta watch out for them, even when they're asleep. He's gotta. It's his job.
> 
> Next: January 6th


	16. All Aboard!

Oscar's sleep was unbroken for the whole night. He'd had a very eventful 24 hours, much more than his usual. And his body, grateful for so much extra food compared to the size of his daily meals before, fell into easy sleep on the soft pillow. Even his dreams, which were kaleidoscopic at best, didn't alarm him enough to prompt an early wake up.  
  
Of course, the screeching call of an _actual_ alarm clock was more than enough.  
  
He sat bolt upright and clamped his hands over his ears as the noise assaulted them. Oscar knew the sound, but he'd _never_ heard it from this close. It was always muffled by the walls and never bothered him, but now it was mere feet away and it set his heart pounding.  
  
His eyes were also nearly overwhelmed. Mornings in his small house were always dim, and not much light ever made it into the room where he slept. Here, light filtered into the room in a much larger dose through a crack in the curtains. Open space stretched out in front of him and Oscar could barely comprehend it in his still-waking-up state.  
  
The noise and the light and the soft pillow beneath him weren't the end to Oscar's confused sensory overload. He realized belatedly that there was a _human_ very close by. Dean hugged the pillow close to himself, his arm wrapped securely over the makeshift bed. Oscar could see his chest move rhythmically with huge breaths.  
  
It was too much all at once. Oscar groaned with worry and dove back under the cover of the shirt, curling up to try and drown at least some of it out. He really should have insisted harder that he walk himself home. It was safer there.  
  
Sam didn't bother hiding from the noise of the alarm clock, but he did pull the edge of his flannel shirt over his head to try and block out the noise. He wished fervently that they could turn it down and still have it wake up Dean, but the teen was able to tune out the noise even at its loudest.  
  
"Deaaaaann!" he moaned, squinting his eyes shut tight. "Wake up!"  
  
The only way he knew that his voice got through to Dean was the way the pillow moved under them as the sleepy teenager pushed himself up. Dean leaned overhead and slapped the alarm clock off, silencing the shrill sound.  
  
Then flopped right back down on his side and buried his head in the side of their pillow.  
  
"Aw, come _on!_ " Sam complained heartily. "Don't you _ever_ wake up?" Shrugging off the shirt he was curled up under, he made his way over to the side of Dean's face. He could just make out the edge of one of Dean's eyes from where it was pressed into the pillow to block out the light. Sam knelt down, pushing at his brother's cheek in an attempt to get him back up.  
  
"Lemme alone," came the muffled reply from somewhere underneath them. Dean's arm tightened slightly on the pillow as he hugged it close.  
  
The continued shifting of the pillow finally drew Oscar out from under the shirt blanket. He looked around quickly, still shocked to find himself there. As Dean shifted, the whole world seemed to move with him, just like when he'd gotten up to silence the alarm clock. Oscar had only avoided tumbling by being curled up as tightly as he could.  
  
Now, he hastily pulled his bag towards himself with one hand while rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes with the other. Kicking the shirt the rest of the way off of himself, he tried to stand on the pillow.  
  
It wasn't nearly as easy as Sam made it look. Oscar toppled before he even stood up straight. The plush surface gave enough beneath his feet that he had a tough time figuring out how much weight to put down with each foot. A couple tries later, he finally got to a wobbly stand, with his arms held out for balance.  
  
Sam was busy trying to wake a giant. Oscar decided on the opposite direction, still disoriented from waking up in such an unfamiliar place. He took some shaky steps along the pillow, watching his feet as he went. His instincts told him he shouldn't be so close to someone so big while they were asleep. It _couldn't_ be safe.  
  
Of course, he didn't fare that much better trying to get out of Dean's way. He lost his balance when the slope of the cushioned surface became too much, and no amount of pinwheeling his arms could prevent his tumble. He landed in a heap long before he could fall to the mattress, however, and realized with a jolt that he'd landed on Dean's arm.  
  
Dean felt Oscar's small body land on his arm right away. Sleep fled at the memory that they had someone extra staying over, and he shifted enough to open at least one eye to check on the others.  
  
He sleepily blinked a few times to try and clear his eyes, a darker shape coming into view. "Dude, haven't you heard of personal space?" Dean mumbled to the outline of his little brother, silhouetted in the morning sun. Sam was still pushing against his cheek, resolute that he needed to wake the teen.  
  
Dean pushed himself up, sending Sam tumbling backwards onto the pillow in surprise. Lifting up the arm Oscar had fallen on, Dean gently ushered him back onto the pillow with two fingers to help his balance. "Watch yourself, Oz. We don't want you getting yourself in any trouble."  
  
With both arms freed, Dean brushed his hair back, letting his mind wake the rest of the way up. He glanced over at the alarm clock and saw the time.  
  
"Crap!"  
  
Jumping out of the bed on the side away from the kids, he darted into the bathroom. He'd need to set the alarm clock for earlier the next time.  
  
Oscar barely had his balance on the pillow again before Dean all but threw himself off the bed. Even though he avoided the pillow, it caused more than enough of a quake to send Oscar sprawling once more. At least he grabbed onto the shirt blanket to avoid tumbling too far. He didn't bother trying to stand again, since his luck had been abysmal with that so far. He sighed heavily and remained lying down for a few seconds more.  
  
It was only a few minutes into the morning, and he'd already had a lot more excitement than he usually got in a whole day. Oscar took some slow, deep breaths to work through his short morning so far. It was almost like a funny story someone might tell him, except it had just happened. He'd landed on a human's arm only to get nudged back onto a huge pillow. How often could that happen to a person?  
  
He finally pushed himself up to sit and rubbed his eyes tiredly while the sound of water running in the bathroom filtered back to him. "G-g'morning," he said through a short yawn.  
  
Sam picked himself up in turn from where he’d sprawled with Dean’s hasty exit. “Morning,” he said in reply, pushing his hair out of his eyes. It was a mess, and he could only manage so much with just his hands.  
  
He let his arms fall around his legs in a huff, watching after the bathroom door. He didn’t have any other comfortable clothes to change into. Just the dollhouse ones that they’d bought, and those were currently out of reach over on the nightstand. Maybe once he was better and more practiced at climbing he’d be able to get to his stuff without needing Dean around, but for now he didn’t want to ignore Dean’s stipulation that he have a spotter while climbing. At least until he got the hang of it.  
  
Sam stretched out his legs, figuring he’d worry about a change of clothes when they _weren’t_ going to be late to school. “So, you decided to stick around for the night?” he asked Oscar, glad to see the other kid around.  
  
"Mmm." The faint sound was one of acknowledgement, though Oscar was a little fuzzy himself on how he'd ended up sleeping the whole night out in the open like this. "Think Dean put me on the pillow and it was comfy so I fell asleep," he finally replied, a sheepish chuckle accompanying the words. He really had planned on going home; sleeping anywhere other than in his house was an idea that had never occurred to him.  
  
He tried to stand up again, getting to his feet much slower now. His arms were out for balance, though his shaky footing was more because of unfamiliar terrain than actually being at risk. At least the pillow wasn't moving now. "I guess I better go home soon since you guys will be out," he mused, then looked over at Sam thoughtfully. "Um. I can come back later to practice more, if you want."  
  
“Yeah, definitely!” Sam said eagerly. He spotted his safety pin and thread over on the nightstand where he’d left them after climbing up. He couldn’t wait to give it another shot.  
  
Dean came out of the bathroom, still in a rush. He was trying to get his hair to stick up in the right direction after shoving his dark hoodie over his head. He snagged his notebook and a pencil from the table, shoving the pencil into the hoodie’s front pocket. He paused at the table, looking it over and mumbling to himself to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything.  
  
He ended up grabbing a granola and had it half unwrapped by the time he got back over to Sam and Oscar at the bed. “C’mon guys,” he said distractedly, sweeping them up to his shoulder in one hand. “We can eat on the way. Gotta run.” He had a piece of granola held out for each of them between his fingers by the time they caught their balance on his shoulder.  
  
"Whuh ... but ... huh?" Oscar stammered, scrambling to get a secure position on Dean's shoulder. Every step he took covered a lot of ground. It was one thing to be in his hand and notice that. But Oscar was up much higher, and he felt every sway of the towering body that held him up.  
  
He took the offered granola in a daze, almost an automatic reaction to having it handed off to him. His stomach was still reeling from being scooped up so quickly in Dean's hand with Sam. One second, he'd planned to sneak on home and stay out of the way until the humans returned. And now, he was deposited on the human's _shoulder_ while Dean swiftly went for the door.  
  
Oscar scrambled for a grip on the hood, his pale knuckles turning white he held on so hard. "B-but s-school is _full_ of humans!" he stuttered out, his voice barely more than a frightened squeak. He couldn't fathom how Sam tolerated being around that many bigger folk all gathered in one space.  
  
He glanced around at the room, his wide eyes shifting for a moment from fear to awe. He was seeing everything from a human height from where he was. The beds, the TV, the table, even the door to the bathroom didn't look as much like gigantic, immovable things to him. It was like the world got a little smaller around him again.  
  
Sam stuck his feet out so they dangled over Dean’s back, over the opening to the hoodie. “We’ll be fine,” he said confidently as Dean reached the door. “I’ve been doing this for two whole weeks now. No one can see us in the hood, and Dean sits in the back so there’s no one behind him. I even snuck up to his shoulder yesterday while they were teaching and I could see the board.” He didn’t mention the way the chalkboard had been so far away, the words on it were almost blurred in the distance. It was better to be in the back and unseen than in front and spotted.  
  
Dean tilted his head at them, able to hear every word since they were talking right under one of his ears. “You two ready?” he asked gruffly, ready to head out.  
  
Sam punched Dean in the neck. “Next time you should wake up when you’re supposed to!” he shot up at his brother right before dropping off the shoulder and out of sight into the folds of the dark hoodie.  
  
Oscar opened his mouth to say more, but when Sam all but disappeared into the hood, he let out a squeak of surprise. Dean's hand was on the door and soon he'd be _outside_. Oscar's eyes widened even more, and he scooted himself towards where Sam had dropped off the shoulder.  
  
With the strap of his bag clutched in one hand and his bit of granola hugged close with the other, he closed his eyes and let himself slide into the hood too. Oscar tumbled into the folds of thick fabric just as fresh air surrounded them.  
  
"Oh, I dunno about this," he mumbled almost immediately, pushing fabric out of the way as he squirmed into a more comfortable huddled position. His bag was securely on his lap, the granola clutched in his hands on top of it. "T-two weeks?" he whispered, finding where Sam had ended up with his wide eyes.  
  
Sam nodded, only just able to make out Oscar in the dim surroundings. This was much better than normal though. Normally he'd be all alone the entire day unless Dean was able to find a quiet corner to himself, which was hard to do at school. With ninth graders all around, Sam wouldn't be able to say much aside from snatches when he felt daring, and Dean could say nothing back.  
  
“Two weeks,” he confirmed in his own whisper. “Before that dad made me stay at the motel. They thought they'd have a cure by then and I'd be back to normal, but nothing was happening and I was _bored_ on the motel room table all day. Dean was gone and I just got to see my dad until he got back.”  
  
Sam paused for a second, remembering that first day he'd snuck out. “Then I jumped in Dean's pocket,” he said. He pointed at his side to demonstrate which pocket. “Here. He didn't even notice me until we were almost at school. Instead of taking me back like dad would want, he let me come with him. Ever since then, dad gave up fighting it. Though he _did_ yell at Dean a lot that first day. Like it was Dean's fault I stowed away. And Dean just let him. He never told dad it was my idea.”  
  
Oscar wasn't sure what would be worse. Being trapped on a motel room table for a whole day, with no way to climb down or ... no, a shouting gigantic human was definitely worse. If he had to face someone so big actually _yelling_ at him, he wouldn't be able to maintain eye contact. Oscar would be running as far and as fast as he could in the opposite direction in pure panic.  
  
He thought about Dean, a huge human to them but still just a kid in the eyes of a fully grown _adult_ human, standing up to someone shouting at him and keeping his little brother safe from that wrath. No matter how tall someone got, that would always be a noble gesture. Oscar stared at the food in his hands, that Dean had ensured they get even though he was in a rush.  
  
It was humbling to think that a human that caring existed in a world full of gigantic, self-minded people that had, for better or worse, forced people Oscar and Sam's size into hiding.  
  
"I guess he really really takes care of you," Oscar said quietly, comforted by the fact. He relaxed a little, but only a little; they were still outside, after all. "That's really nice."  
  
“Yeah,” Sam said with a smile at his granola. “Yeah, he does.” He bit into it, letting himself sit back so he could stare up at the cracks in the hoodie beyond them. Small swaths of sky were visible, the blue occasionally disrupted by scattered clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is like "come back soon Oscar!" and Dean's like "TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL ALL ABOARD" 
> 
> Next: January 11th


	17. Paying Attention in Class

Dean’s walk was brisk, but controlled. He couldn’t risk running with the two passengers that were stowed away in his hood, but he _did_ need to go faster than normal. The hood swayed steadily behind him, Sam and Oscar’s small bodies only a bare weight he could feel against his back from time to time.  
  
He bit into the remainder of the granola bar he’d split between them. There wasn’t any breakfast at the school, so they needed to find their own food in the morning. Granola bars were one thing that Sam didn’t have a problem with even at his reduced size. Cereal was a little weirder, since Sam couldn’t exactly eat a bowl of it and otherwise he’d just be eating chunks of dry cereal. Dean made a face at that. Lucky Charms just weren’t the same if you had to eat the marshmallows and the cereal separate.  
  
The walk to the school was an easy path at the very least. The sidewalk from the motel lead through a suburban development and on the other side lay the high school they’d temporarily enrolled at. The teachers never seemed to believe Dean when he pointed out that he wouldn’t be staying long enough, but it didn’t matter. He’d be gone in a month no matter what they said or did.  
  
Before reaching the housing development, he came up to a red light and paused, watching the early morning traffic fly by. People rushed to their jobs or their homes. He forcefully mashed the button on the traffic light, waiting for the light to signal pedestrians. It wasn’t worth trying to dart across the lanes like that. Sam and Oscar would get tossed about and if Dean ever got hit by a car…  
  
Well, he might survive. His brother wouldn’t.  
  
“You guys hanging in okay in there?” Dean asked to the air, for all intents and purposes coming across as talking to himself. None of the cars would be able to hear the others reply, therefore he didn’t give a damn what they thought. He needed to know how they were before they reached the school and he wouldn’t be able to talk to them at all.  
  
Oscar flinched and looked up in surprise, but then lost track of the answer than almost yelped out of him. He caught sight of the sky, between the folds of the hood. He'd seen images of it on the TVs in the motel, but he had never seen the sky itself. It caught him off guard for a moment. He even thought he might have seen a glimpse of the top of a tree out there, though with the hood offering only small views, he wasn't sure.  
  
"I-I'm fine," he squeaked out. He wasn't sure if he could be heard over the sounds of the cars out there. The tires barreling along the cement, kicking up miniscule pieces of gravel, were so loud from this side of a motel room door.  
  
He took a few breaths of fresh air. That, at least, was a comforting side of the new sensations out of the motel. He wasn't prepared for any of it, had no idea what to expect, and felt very vulnerable even with Dean right there. But the fresh air was nice after living his life in the closed, stale air in the motel walls.  
  
"We're fine, Dean!" Sam shouted up in turn. He backed up the shout with his best kick at the wall they were leaning against; or in other words, Dean's back. He might not be able to feel every move they made, but _that_ should do the trick.  
  
The cadence of walking resumed as the sound of car engines idling started up. Instead of rushing by, they were waiting for the teen to make his way across the road during the red light. Dean didn't waste any time, and the hood swayed in the air as he went.  
  
Oscar huddled down further, trying and failing to pretend that the swaying didn't bother him. It was so weird. He recognized the cadence of human footsteps from being on Dean's hands before. But this swaying was even more than up on the shoulder, because Oscar and Sam were basically hanging there in a makeshift hammock. At least the cloth was thick and comfortable, and it kept them warm.  
  
He kept looking straight up, catching every glimpse of the sky that he could. Once he was past the familiar sounds of rumbling car engines and the creaks and groans of the metal behemoths, he picked up other sounds. Grass whispering, tree branches rattling, the quiet breeze playing with both. He even heard birds chirping with more clarity than he'd ever heard before.  
  
When his neck got sore from looking up for so long, he lowered his gaze, finally remembering the granola in his hands. Eating in the morning wasn't something he often did. Breakfast was nice, but Oscar usually pushed his meals to as late in the day as he could, because otherwise the pain of hunger could keep him from getting enough sleep.  
  
Now, though, Sam and Dean were letting him visit. He could probably get more food from them after they returned and he helped Sam practice some more. He'd make sure to earn every bite, but for now, he started in on his breakfast with a tentative nibble.  
  
"Once, I _almost_ coulda had a whole bar of this to myself! I could see it under the dresser, someone dropped it. I was waiting for the humans to pack up and leave so I could go get it, but they noticed it and picked it up," he explained in a rush, keeping his voice down despite the thought that it was probably already barely audible to someone outside the hood.  
  
Sam bit into his own granola, chewing thoughtfully. He was still trying to wrap his head around the way Oscar lived compared to them. Instead of an open room being welcoming, it was huge and expansive, full of unseen dangers and the possibility of humans grabbing him. Food was a scarcity instead of something expected.  
  
“You can take some home if you want,” Sam offered. “I mean, Dean’s not gonna mind. And granola lasts longer than pizza or Chinese. You won’t have to worry about eating it before it goes. That way, you don’t have to worry about dragging an entire bar through the vents!” His eyes went a little wide, trying to imagine pulling something so relatively _large_ for any kind of distance.  
  
Oscar grinned, his whole face brightening with the simple offer. "It wouldn't be _that_ heavy," he mused, though the thought of not having to worry about someone noticing him taking it and causing trouble ... that was worth a lot by itself.  
  
Sam and Dean continued to amaze him with how kind they were to him. He was just a little kid with nothing he could offer them in return except showing Sam how to climb a rope, which he probably could have figured out on his own eventually anyway. He'd have gotten too restless waiting around all the time.  
  
"Th-thanks, that'd be really good, I gotta try to fill up my pantry," he answered. He glanced up at the particularly loud sound of a bird, probably scolding Dean for daring to walk too close to its tree or something like that. Animals always protected their territory, Oscar knew.  
  
The sound of the birds and the trees started to fade as Dean's morning journey neared its end. A distant roar of humanity began to replace the peaceful background as students milled around the school building.  
  
This was the one time that Sam grew nervous. He curled into a ball closer to Oscar, trying to reduce the chances that they would be noticed by the gigantic humans outside. Dean usually managed to cut through crowds unhindered, but there could always be a first.  
  
The hood swayed more than ever as Dean navigated the throng of high school students, doing his best to not attract attention. He was only a freshmen, which always made an easy target. Unlike Sam, though, people would avoid Dean. It was something in his eyes… a hardness that a teenager shouldn't have so early in their life.  
  
Sam put a supportive arm around Oscar's shoulder. For a child that was raised away from humans all his life, this must be terrifying.  
  
“We're almost there,” Sam reassured him. “The worst part is almost over.”  
  
Oscar was quiet and almost completely frozen when he nodded. It was the instinct in him that made him sit so still. He was drawn in as close to himself as he could, hands tight around his half-eaten breakfast. But his mind wasn't on food for once. It was on _not being noticed._  
  
Human voices surrounded them. Loud, boisterous, young human voices. Any one of them could squash Oscar and Sam both in one hand or stomp them under a shoe. Being lost in the schoolyard would be a nightmare. They were toy-sized to these kids. Dean was the only thing standing between them and the tiny passengers in his hood.  
  
When the lighting above them changed and the air took on a different scent, Oscar relaxed a hair. The sound of a door closing behind Dean's brisk walk told him they'd made it into the building without incident. "Oh thank goodness," Oscar breathed, slumping a little. "N-no one noticed."  
  
“Told ya we’d be fine,” Sam whispered back. “No one ever pays any attention to Dean other than the girls, and they aren’t gonna pay any attention to his hood.”  
  
Even so, he and Oscar stayed close, Sam’s arm protectively around the younger and smaller kid as Dean strode down the hallway. A door creaked open on the outside and the lighting changed once more to the brighter hues of a classroom with open windows.  
  
_Soon,_ Sam thought to himself. Soon Dean would be sitting in the back and it would be safe to try a quick trip up to his shoulder to peer fugitively around the room and see the world.  


* * *

  
Dean avoided the teacher’s disapproving glance as he came into the class at the tail end of the students. He was one of the last ones to seek out his seat, but there was always one waiting for him in the back of the room. Right now, he was the new kid. An unknown, and from the look he always had on his face, not one to be messed with.  
  
He was always aware of the slight weight against his back as he walked. No one else even suspected that there was two other kids with him. People that would be in danger if they were seen, but deserved to venture out into the world and breathe fresh air just like anyone else.  
  
Dean slapped his notebook down on the desk in the back and sat in his seat. The hood was high enough on his shoulders and neck that it didn’t get disturbed as he slouched down, trying to blend into homeroom.  


* * *

  
Oscar could hear other human kids again, but this time they weren't so loud. Most of them were quieting down pretty quickly, in fact, which helped his nerves to settle down enough to get back to nibbling on his breakfast. An _actual_ breakfast. It had been a while since he'd had one.  
  
The room was filled with all new noises, some of which were familiar and some of which weren't. He heard what he thought might be someone scratching away at paper with a pencil. Rubber shoes squeaked against the tile floor, like they would in the motel's bathrooms. Humans sighed, shifted in their creaky seats, and moved papers around.  
  
There were a lot of them. Oscar heaved a sigh, trying to unwind his nerves. He had a feeling they'd be riled up most of the day, if he was going to be stuck in a hood. He just couldn't help the instinct that told him humans were dangerous and he shouldn't be around this many at once. At least he had someone protecting him. Without Dean or Sam there Oscar would already have curled into a ball.  
  
The teacher started talking in the background. Sam took advantage of morning announcements to separate himself from Oscar and snag the remainder of his own breakfast. “They’ll start teaching soon,” he mumbled around bites of the honey flavored grains. “First they start with announcements around the school. Football games, any events that are planned… not that Dean’ll go to any of them.”  
  
Sam watched the ceiling from where they were sitting, only just able to make out the plain grey expanse stretching overhead. “Then when she starts teaching, I’m gonna sneak up and see if I can see the board,” he confided in the other kid. “If Dean’s in his normal spot, his left shoulder should be out of sight unless anyone looks behind themselves, and I can keep the folds of the hoodie up to block me from sight.”  
  
Oscar almost choked on his last bites of food. He took a few breaths and stared at Sam with wide eyes, waiting for him to reveal the punchline. But he wasn't joking. Sam really did intend to climb up out of the hood to see what was going on.  
  
He was going where anyone could look over their shoulder and see him. Oscar couldn't think of a closer parallel to sticking his neck out too far if he tried. His brow furrowed with worry and he looked up. "B-but ... what if someone still sees you? Then they'll find us and maybe they'll take us away." His voice, though it wound up with nerves, remained as hushed as ever.  
  
“It’ll be okay!” Sam defended himself. “I won’t get seen. And even if anyone looks at Dean, they never look at his _shoulder._ ” Especially the girls, Sam had started to notice with all the extra time he spent with his brother. The girls got hung up staring at his eyes. Nothing else ever seemed to exist, even the tiny kid hiding from them.  
  
He brought himself to a wobbly stand in the bottom of the hood and put the remainder of his granola down on the steep surface. “I’m _always_ careful. And Dean wouldn’t let anyone take us away from him. He’s gonna be a hunter, after all. He’s ready to defend us if he needs to!”  
  
Oscar stared at Sam with some awe and skepticism battling for dominance on his face. He seemed so sure of his claims, and once again Oscar found that Sam's confidence made him feel a little more confident, too. Somehow, despite being small, the older boy wasn't nearly as fearful of everything as Oscar was. He wished he could be like that.  
  
He glanced only once at the wall beside them that was Dean's back. But that was enough for Sam to start climbing up the hood. Oscar gasped and hastily tried to follow, despite his better judgement. His fingers easily wove between the thick cotton threads, and climbing was easy enough. Even being surreptitious was something he understood and was good at.  
  
The hard part was being out in the open again once they reached the top fold of the hood.  
  
Light from the bright fluorescents above assaulted Oscar's eyes, and gave the room an extra surreal look to it. A big board of dark material was fixed to the farthest wall, and the others were covered in bright colored posters with math facts or multiplication tables that went a lot higher than Oscar had memorized.  
  
His focus was immediately on the other desks, of course, primarily their occupants. Humans. And so many of them. Some leaned casually back, others leaned hunched forward, and others were trying to sneak folded bits of paper to each other. Oscar didn't know where to look. There were so many enormous teens shifting in their seats while the adult droned on in the front.  
  
"Ohh, too many," Oscar muttered weakly, lying on his stomach before he even climbed all the way up to Dean's shoulder. He slid back down into the hood where he immediately felt safer.  
  
“Oscar!” Sam hissed in surprise, disappointed. He tried to spot the other kid, but he was already gone from sight at the bottom.  
  
Dean shifted in his seat, trying to see what was going on down by his shoulder. Sam punched against his shoulder, letting him know they were fine. The teen settled down, absently scribbling doodles on his notebook instead of paying attention to the teacher. Sam rolled his eyes, but didn’t bother lecturing Dean.  
  
He shifted a fold of the shirt so it would block him from the kids in front of Dean, then relaxed flat on his stomach to watch the teacher for a bit. His eyes were wide, taking in the information that was given. He might have been downsized, but he never wanted to stop learning. He could clearly remember the days when he’d been able to sit in a classroom like this at the _right_ size, and he missed it.  
  
Plus, Dean clearly wasn’t paying attention. _Someone_ needed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Dean's not going to watch the teacher, Sam's gonna do it for him! As crazy as Oscar thinks he is. Poor Oz, there's a few too many kids around to feel safe.
> 
> Next: January 13th


	18. Safe With Dean

While the teacher's voice went on outside, listing off things that Oscar could hardly follow, he remained huddled in the hood. It was dimmer and more closed in, qualities of the walls that he called home and had come to associate with safety. The noises beyond Dean's hood still reached him and still made him nervous, but at least his current hiding place was growing on him as a good place to be.  
  
He had his legs drawn close with his bag leaning against his side. The comfortable fabric all around offered him a soft place to rest and try not to think about how many humans were in the room. It could end up being a long day; he had to tell himself over and over that he was safe.  
  
Later in class, when the teacher's voice was accompanied by the _tick tick tick_ of chalk on the board, Oscar looked up from a daze to see Sam sliding back into the hood to rejoin him. The other kid made the task look easy, proof that he really did do this all the time. If there weren't so many humans out there, Oscar might feel a little better about trying again.  
  
"H-hi," he greeted softly. "Won't you miss the lesson?"  
  
Sam gestured dismissively as he sank down into the warm cloth. “Nah,” he said. “Dean started paying attention when they got to history. Of all things, he gets a kick out of researching the past. He just never, _ever_ lets on. I think it’s why dad has him help with lore when he’s on a case. Dean makes connections no one else even _notices_.”  
  
Squinting in the dark, he tried to make out Oscar. “ ‘Sides. I wanted to make sure you were alright. You’ve never done this before… I mean, it’s really scary sometimes, but at least I know what to expect in school. How you holding up?”  
  
Oscar shrugged and offered a quiet, sheepish laugh. He was glad it didn't seem like Sam could see him that well, because he was a little pink with embarrassment over how quickly he'd retreated earlier. "I'm okay," he replied, telling what was mostly the truth. All in all, he was perfectly fine. His nerves simply hadn't gotten the notice.  
  
"There's just _so many_ of them," he added, looking at his hands where they rested on his folded up knees. There had never been so many humans in one place at the motel. Even the small lobby it had near the office wasn't big enough for that many humans. "And they're all really big," he said with a breathy chuckle.  
  
“Don’t think about that,” Sam suggested. “Just focus on other things. Like how they’re kids just like you and me. I mean, if things had happened differently, _I’d_ be that big right now. If _I_ found you, I’d never hurt you, or trap you. Honest.”  
  
He listened to the outside world for a long moment after that statement. The teacher writing on the chalkboard, the rare scribble of a pencil from Dean… the constant shifting, moving and murmuring from the other classmates. And of course, the ever present sound of massive lungs dragging in deep breaths only inches away. Their place in the hood put them close enough to hear. It was humbling to listen and know that the older boy could take in more air than Oscar or Sam had mass in their bodies, but it was also a sound that reminded them that he was _there,_ and as long as he was around, they’d be fine.  
  
Oscar looked up in surprise. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to think about the varied _what ifs_ in this scenario. One of them being, of course, what if Sam hadn't been cursed? Oscar would fit just as easily in the other boy's hands. Sam could have been the one to place his hands around Oscar as he ran and snatch him up from the ground. But, from his earnestness now, Oscar had to believe him. He wouldn't have done him any more harm than Dean did. Maybe things would have been just as scary (probably more so with two humans to deal with), but Sam was consistently looking out for Oscar.  
  
"I believe you," he said with a nod. He paused to listen to the sounds beyond the hood. The normal sounds of extremely giant people shifting about, breathing, whispering, and writing things down. They were just other kids like him and Sam and Dean ... they were just big. It helped to put some of his unease to rest, but not all of it. At least they were safely hidden with the one bigger person they could trust.  
  
"I never thought nice humans could exist. Mom always told me never ever go near 'em."  
  
“You can’t really know if they’re nice or not,” Sam said. “You should listen to your mom. If it wasn’t Dean that found you, you _could_ have ended up trapped. Or maybe they’d be just as nice and let you go, or get you food.” He leaned forward in the swaying hood, doing his best to meet Oscar in the eyes. “Oscar, I’m just saying there _are_ nice humans out there. But… it’s too dangerous to try and talk to them if you don’t have someone watching out for you. Not when they can stop you with one hand. But don’t give up on humanity for just a few asshats.”  
  
He gave Oscar a huge grin. “You’ve always got me and Dean to count on.”  
  
Oscar couldn't help but grin right back. Even if the thought of being found by other humans still terrified him, he believed completely by now that Dean would look out for them. He'd just have to stick close to Sam and Dean. The first and only friends he had in all the world.  
  


* * *

  
Even with constantly reminding himself he was alright, by the end of the school day, Oscar was exhausted. He couldn't help the stress that his instincts put on him to be constantly watchful. He was always wary of some hand that he didn't know diving into the hood and claiming him and Sam. They wouldn't be able to stop it.  
  
The final bell rang and he heard a sudden rush of noise as the other students happily agreed that the end of the school day was happy news. He shrank back out of habit, watching the top of the hood with wide eyes.  
  
"Th-they all sound so happy," he muttered, blinking over at Sam. His next words were lost in a flinch as someone laughed raucously and a chair squealed as it pushed along the ground. Oscar chuckled sheepishly at himself. "I-I guess they got tired of sittin' around all day."  
  
Sam laughed at that idea. He wasn’t worried about either of them being heard in the loud happenings outside of the hood. Dean hadn’t moved yet, waiting for the initial rush to calm down in order to leave with his vulnerable passengers.  
  
“They don’t like being stuck in school all day,” Sam confided. “Five days a week, from eight to two or three depending on the school… some even go later. Me an’ Dean have been to a bunch of different ones over the years and it’s always the same. _I_ always liked going, but most kids spend most of their time complaining about it.”  
  


* * *

  
Outside the hoodie, Dean finally decided it was time to head out. He got up from his seat, trying to avoid eye contact with the teacher, Mrs. Martin. She glanced up as he walked by her desk.  
  
“Dean Winchester!”  
  
_Dammit._  
  
He shuffled to a stop, holding his notebook awkwardly against his chest. “Yeah?” he asked, an annoyed grumble in his voice.  
  
She had a knowing glint in her eyes as she tilted her head up at him. “I just had a question about yesterday's homework assignment,” she said calmly at him. After years of teaching kids like him, the annoyance and the grumble washed right over her. She pushed the paper towards him. “Did you do this?” she asked with the lilt of curiosity in her tone. A long finger tapped against a small squiggle in the upper corner of the page.  
  
Dean leaned forward, squinting at the tiny picture that was sitting there. _Of course._ Sam had been doodling in the margins from boredom while Dean was working through the math work. “Just… practicing,” Dean said, switching to the charm.  
  
She arched her eyebrows at him. “You should think about going into art. I haven’t seen anyone manage such precise work. With skill like that you might even manage blueprints better than the computer.” She pulled the sheet back towards the pile. “Just keep it in mind.”  
  
Dean forced out a smile, turning to go out of the room. After that start, he didn’t like turning his back on her knowing the others didn’t have anything between them and the woman. It wouldn’t do to act any more suspicious than he already was.  
  
The hallways outside were deserted. All the other students had fled towards the fleet of buses that would bring them home, leaving Dean to his walk back to the motel.  
  
Once he was certain the teacher didn't suspect anything other than Dean's artistic prowess, Oscar released a sigh. The swaying of the hood with the human teen’s walk had become familiar during the day. He was just glad there weren't a bunch of boisterous voices in the hall this time. Between classes, the noise alone had made Oscar feel pressed in on. The quiet was much better.  
  
“You went to a buncha different schools?” he finally echoed, his eyes wide with wonder at the thought. Sam and Dean could travel all over, and apparently they never stayed in one place for long while their dad fought _monsters._ He hadn't thought about how that might affect the two boys.  
  
“I haven't even gone to the other side of the motel by myself before,” he mused, a faint sheepish smile growing on his face. “Is it hard to keep up moving around so much? I didn't understand most of the teachers today.”  
  
Sam shrugged. “ ‘S’okay. I tried asking dad if we could stay in one school for a year once. He got real mad at that. He didn’t say much to me the rest of the week, and after that we went off to another different school anyway. The longest we got to stay in one place was when uncle Bobby was watching us. He had us go to school in Sioux Falls. It was great. Dean even got to learn how to repair cars with him.”  
  
He closed his eyes at the memories. “He’s got a _huge_ library, so hunters like my dad all go to him to find out about the monsters they’re tracking down. He let me help out a few times. I got to look through the books and track down different types of monsters.”  
  
Sam stuck his lip out. “The hardest part was when we switched schools they were always learning different things. We’d have to start over again every time. I think that’s why Dean hates it so much. He’s smarter than just about all the other kids in the class, but he always comes of as behind since he mighta learned something different in our last school. And now, I can’t even go to the classes I was in. I had to work hard to keep up with the classes that Dean’s in.”  
  
Oscar mulled it over while the human that carried them navigated the empty halls. He could just barely hear the chatter of students in the distance. Soon enough Dean would be outside, skirting past the crowds to get back to the motel.  
  
“That really _does_ sound hard,” Oscar agreed. Constantly changing things up didn't help anyone learn anything. He couldn't imagine learning things like climbing or sneaking around while also having to move house all the time. There was one advantage to not being able to travel very far, he supposed. “I think I would never be able to keep up… I know my numbers but things sounded so confusing today. And talkin’ about history would be tough, I dunno where everything is.”  
  
He glanced up at the sound of a door opening. The crowd, thankfully, didn't sound as loud as he expected. It seemed the other humans really were excited to get out of there. “I-I think I'm real good at the stuff my mom could teach me though! A-and soon you can be, too! You'll have _both,_ ” he added with a shy grin. Sam had such an interesting outlook. He knew all of the human things, and Oscar was going to teach him the side of the smaller people.  
  
Sam brightened when a thought came to him at that. “And _I_ can teach you any human things you want to know,” he offered. “I know lots! And Dean knows more. That way, we can _both_ know things from both sides.”  
  
The sound of the outdoors came at last as Dean passed the threshold of the building. The sound of the student body was replaced by distant traffic. With swift, powerful footsteps carrying them away from the building, they were on their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: December 18th


	19. Back to the Motel

Oscar sighed, hearing the sounds of the outdoors he'd been so nervous about that morning. Now it meant they were heading back towards something familiar. He could say a lot about life in the motel, but one thing was for certain. Knowing his surroundings made a big difference. He was exhausted and it was still only mid afternoon.  
  
"I bet it could be real fun to learn about some of the human stuff," he admitted. Though, after the long day in school already, he might not be able to take in any new information. So much of it had tried to cram into his brain already without context or visual aid.  
  
"Usually I just try to figure out schedules and stuff. I know checkout time, and I know when the maids go around, and I know a lot of people stay in the motel for 'skiing.’ " He watched glimpses of the sky above while he listed what he'd learned about humans already, all of it influenced of course by the limited crowd that passed through the _Knight's Inn._  
  
Sam nodded along. “They like to vacation here,” he surmised. “There must not be as much to do in town when it’s summer and spring. Even the prices this autumn were really good, which is why dad dropped us off here. They must make their money in the winter.” It made sense, if he thought about it. Colorado was a popular state in the winter. After living most of his life in the Impala, from motel room to motel room, he’d never really thought about vacationers.  
  
After all, hunters didn’t _do_ vacations.  
  
The closest thing to a vacation that Sam and Dean ever got was the trips to Bobby’s. Of all places to wake up for the first time downsized, Sam was glad he’d been somewhere familiar. It was still terrifying, but at least he knew he was safe once he got past the _holy shit my brother is a giant he just grabbed me help_ part.  
  
Traffic rumbled past outside and birds continued their chattering while the hoodie swayed with Dean's hurried steps. Oscar thought for a moment, thinking of his few years aware of how the humans came and went. In the big picture, it really hadn't been that many years since he saw his first human in person (from a vent, of course).  
  
"Y-yeah, there _are_ a lot more in winter," he realized. "I like summer better because it's easier to keep warm, but there aren't as many people I guess. I never noticed before." The only downside to there being fewer guests was that it was less likely he'd be able to find food on a given day. In the winter, people were passing through all the time, leaving their snacks all over. It was easier pickings, but it left him more chances to be spotted so he still didn't take advantage of the dropped food as much as he otherwise might.  
  
He looked over at Sam with wide eyes as he remembered something. "One time, my mom told me there were some that thought it was still too cold so they had an extra heater in their room. It made even the walls kinda warm to lean on from inside."  
  
“It’s cold in your home?” Sam asked. He thought about what he knew about the walls, frowning in concentration. At least if he was cold, he had Dean to rely on. He’d slept in a pocket more than once with Dean sprawled out on the bed. The older brother had plenty of body heat to share, and never rolled over while he was asleep. Sometimes the flannel shirt and the pillow just didn’t cut it with the crisp fall air starting to show a chill as time passed.   
  
The motel room, at least, was warm. Inside the walls… Sam realized this meant that Oscar didn’t get much heat at all during the winter. “But… how do you keep warm at night? Or during the day?”  
  
"Oh, I have ..." Oscar looked down at his hands and started counting up on his fingers. His lips moved a little as each number passed through his head. "Seven, no, _eight_ blankets on my bed. It's a big piece of foam and some cloth, so it helps, too. I make sure my feet are wrapped up at night so they don't get too cold."  
  
As for during the day, Oscar had a number of things he had to do in order to keep his mind off the chill. He always had more weaving he could do, since new clothes and shoes were a worthy effort. His shoes, especially, wore out pretty fast with all the creeping around he had to do. He also often tinkered with the supplies his mother had collected to the side of the house, thinking he might be able to set up things to keep the spiders from encroaching.  
  
In the end, he answered half of Sam's concern. "If I wanna get warm during the day I can go in the vent when the heat is on. Or I find a hot water pipe, those get _really_ warm."  
  
Sam stuck out his lip, not completely happy with the answer. “I hope this winter doesn’t get too cold,” he said earnestly. “That way you won’t have to worry about it too much.” Inside, he was wishing Oscar could just come with _them_. That way, he didn’t have to worry about being too cold, or not having enough food, or being all alone.  
  
He could be _safe_.  
  


* * *

  
Dean arrived at the room, and opened up the door quickly. After an entire day with the others out of sight, he wouldn’t mind being able to _talk_ to them. He’d been able to hear them whispering amongst themselves from time to time, but the voices were too soft and too far away for him to make out with the other students around him. The most he’d heard from Sam was a whispered answer during a quiz before he slipped back into safety.  
  
Tossing his notebook onto the bed, he reached behind his head and slipped his hand into his hood. It took a few moments of fishing around, but he managed to get both kids in his hand. He curled his fingers around them and lifted them out.  
  
“Hey, guys!” Dean said the moment his hand was in front of his face. His fingers opened up, freeing them onto his palm.  
  
Oscar tumbled over once Dean's grasp opened up, and he squirmed a bit frantically to right himself. He sat up on his knees with his bag clutched in his arms, a look of pure surprise on his face, widening his brown eyes. After a few deep breaths and some rapid blinks, he slumped a little, disarmed from the initial scare that he'd been unable to help when a hand dove into the hood and rounded them up.  
  
"H-hi, Dean," he greeted, releasing his grip on his bag and letting it settle at his side once more. He knew it was too much to hope the others hadn't seen his startled reaction. But hopefully they wouldn't give him too much grief over it. After all, he couldn't really help it.  
  
Sam was a bit more used to the quick motions like that from Dean, and recovered swiftly. Knowing that the human who had him in a fist would never harm him had made it easy to get used to.  
  
Of course, only _Dean_ would be able to get away with shit like that.  
  
Getting to a kneeling position, Sam put a hand on Oscar’s back to steady him. “Mind putting us down?” he asked Dean, spotting how disoriented the other kid was. It was a lot to get used to.  
  
“Sure.” The hand lowered down. They were only jarred a little when it touched down against the bed. Dean smirked at them. “Been practicing your art skills on my homework, Sammy?”  
  
Sam flushed red. He’d lost track of where he was the last time they’d worked on homework together. “Thanks for covering for me.”  
  
A finger lightly brushed his hair into a mess. “I don’t think a doodle will give you away, kid. We’re golden.”  
  
Oscar stumbled onto the bed, grateful to be on a surface that sat still for the most part. The swaying of the hood hadn't been completely dreadful towards the end of the day. In fact, it had taken on a sort of lulling quality.  
  
But solid ground (or mostly solid, since the bed covers sank under his shoes) had its own charms. Oscar sat down immediately, his legs stretched out in front of himself. He lifted his bag off his shoulder and set it down before releasing a big sigh.  
  
The faded covers were familiar. And the wallpaper, lamps, even the furniture were all familiar. The sounds of the motel were familiar, inside and out. Oscar felt the stress of the day unwinding, even though he was sitting out in the open.  
  
He rubbed one of his eyes tiredly. "That felt like more time than it really was," he pointed out placidly.  
  
Dean bounced onto the bed behind them, sending Oscar and Sam flying up into the air an inch. “It _always_ does,” he agreed completely, smirking as Sam tried to get back up again. The smaller brother had his arms out to the sides, trying to keep balance on the plushy surface even as he sent a glare towards Dean.  
  
Ignoring the grumpy kid, Dean grabbed a pillow from behind them and wrapped his arms around it, laying down so he was facing the other two. He rested his head on the pillow. “What did you think, Oz?” he asked. He’d heard them talking all day but he’d never been able to catch the words unless they were said on his shoulder, and all he’d caught from the younger kid was “Ohh, too many,” before he’d slid back into the hood for the rest of the day.  
  
Oscar waited until he was certain that Dean was done moving. He'd tumbled around quite a bit, especially after the teen bounced onto the bed and sent the whole surface underneath them bucking up and down. His simple movements translated a lot into the mattress and all the covers. Oscar sat up hesitantly, making sure he wouldn't just fall right over again from a stray movement.  
  
"I, uh," he stammered, feeling sheepish because he knew he'd been beyond nervous in the school all day. Even with Sam's advice in mind, he couldn't help but worry about the high volume of humans in the building compared to how small he felt. "I thought it was kinda loud," he finally admitted.  
  
Sam took a few wobbly steps on the plushy surface, trying to get back over to Oscar after the earthquake with Dean at its epicenter. “You get used to it,” Sam reassured the younger kid. “It’s only when there’s people _yelling_ that it gets really bad.” He hid a small shiver, remembering the sight of his dad yelling at Dean. It didn’t need to be directed at Sam for it to be terrifying.  
  
Even then Dean had realized it was bothering his younger (and now smaller) brother, and had scooped him up for support. The gesture had done them no favors in John’s eyes, but Sam was grateful for it nonetheless. It let him know that even with his family, he had someone who’d always stand up for him. Someone who’d always be there.  
  
He finally reached Oscar again and let himself tumble to the cover next to the other kid. “I had fun!” he said brightly. “I never get to talk to anyone else like that at school.”  
  
Oscar smiled faintly and stretched his legs out in front of himself. After sitting huddled in the hood all day, his body was a little stiff. It felt good to have some room again, even if they were at risk of tumbling over a lot if Dean decided to move.  
  
"I guess that did help," he admitted, thinking that if he'd been in the hood by himself all day he might have just gotten himself worked up by the end of it. It could have become very upsetting, without the encouraging words from Sam.  
  
"M-maybe I'll go again sometime," he conceded, his voice quieter and less sure about the idea he was presenting. He may never be over how scary it seemed, but at least he wasn't alone in it.  
  
“Awesome!” Sam said, elated. “I can’t wait!”  
  
Even Dean had trouble hiding a smile at that. For a month, Sam had been withdrawn, only opening up to Dean and not even all the way. There were things he wouldn’t share with his big brother, either because of fear or worry about what Dean would think about him. Whatever those things were, with Oscar there it was like they had all washed away. He was acting like a _kid_ again, almost for the first time since he’d discovered that monsters were real. For that _alone,_ Dean would always be thankful to Oscar for.  
  
Dean and Oscar were both caught off guard when Sam sprang to his feet on the plushy bed cover. This time around he didn’t have a problem with his footing.  
  
Sam tagged Oscar and darted off, glancing back over his shoulder. “Tag, you’re it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: January 20th


	20. Tag, You're It!

Oscar flinched and he watched Sam dart away with wide, surprised eyes. He blinked a few times, glanced at the spot on his arm where Sam had tagged him, and then looked back up with an increasingly confused frown. Without even realizing he was doing it, he started to wring his hands absently.  
  
"Um," he began quietly, feeling his face become warm and pink yet again. He had _no idea_ what had just happened. He got the sense that it was a game, at least, but beyond that, nothing about what Sam had just done was clear to him.  
  
"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" he asked cautiously, glancing between the two brothers.  
  
Sam tried to skid to a halt, almost going head over heels all over again as he stopped in place next to one of the hands Dean had wrapped around a pillow. He turned back towards Oscar with a surprised frown. He’d never thought about the other kid not knowing how to play.  
  
“It’s a game!” Sam called back to him. “I tag you like this,” he slapped a hand against Dean’s knuckle for demonstration, “then you’re it and you have to tag _me!_ ”  
  
Dean lifted up his hand, looking at the place Sam had ‘tagged’ him. “So, I guess this means I’m it?” he asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.  
  
“No, Dean I was just -- _oomph,_ ”  
  
Sam ended up flattened under Dean’s hand when his older brother joined in, ‘tagging’ Sam back and leaving his hand draped over the smaller kid. “Hey, where’d you go?” Dean asked with a smirk, feeling his little brother try to squirm his way free.  
  
Oscar choked on an alarmed sound, his hands over his mouth. He really hadn't expected Dean to place a hand over Sam like that. And the other boy was completely out of sight. If not for the playful look on Dean's face, Oscar might have been scared for Sam. He might have been scared for what would happen next, too.  
  
Instead, he cautiously got to his feet, leaving his bag where it was for now. He inched up to Dean's hand, noting how big it was and how easily Sam was obscured from sight. He thought about how he'd been trapped in Dean's big hands. Before he knew the human wouldn't hurt him, it had been the most terrifying experience in his short life.  
  
As it was, now he thought he might be able to hear Sam cussing. "He's _stuck,_ " he pointed out, though of course Dean knew that already. Oscar squatted down next to the hand, trying to see where Sam was exactly. With tentative hands, he reached out and pushed on Dean's first finger, trying to get it out of the way. "C'mon," he said, almost chuckling at the human's antics.  
  
Any attempt at hiding a grin was gone as Dean laughed at that. “Oh, I had no idea he was stuck.” He watched as Oscar tried to push his finger out of the way, fascinated at how much effort the other kid was putting into his attempt yet he could barely even feel it. And Sam’s squirms were doing him no good, even as Dean felt him finally manage to squirm his way onto his back and try and kick at the arch of the palm above him.  
  
Oscar wasn’t giving up on getting his buddy out, and Dean felt that kind of effort deserved a reward. “Oz, if you wanted to join him so much, you shoulda let me know right off,” Dean said with a slight snicker. He moved his finger out of the way of the next push, offsetting the boy’s balance just enough.  
  
Oscar tumbled to the cover, and with the slightest flick of his finger Dean sent him rolling under the hand to join Sam before either of the others could respond. He let his hand settle down one more time over them. “Hmm, guess I’ve got the room all to myself,” he announced with a grin at his hand, both of the others out of sight.  
  
Oscar almost felt a worm of panic trying to wriggle into his gut. He tumbled so quickly, with help from Dean's simple nudge, that he never had time to really register what happened until the hand was settled over him and Sam again. It was dim, and warm, and muffled under there, but he still clearly heard Dean's words. He even _felt_ them in the hand that pinned him down now.  
  
"N-no you don't!" he insisted, joining Sam in protesting their confinement. He squirmed under the gentle weight, getting his arms in position to push upwards on Dean's hand. He still had in mind the memory of the last time he'd tried to move this hand out of the way. This time, he could push back on his fear with the knowledge that Dean was only playing.  
  
"D-Dean, let us up!" he yelled, pushing against the teen's hand and squirming his little legs for all he was worth. His arms shuddered from the strain before he backed off with a huff. "Sam, how do we make him leggo?" he asked exasperatedly.  
  
Sam grumbled back at him. “We can’t _make_ him leggo,” he admitted. His older brother was to big for that. Determined, he pushed upwards on the skin above him and didn’t budge it a centimeter. _Sonovabitch!_ Dean’s favorite curse word echoed in his mind.  
  
Dean laughed as he pushed the pillow he was leaning on out of the way so he could peer under his hand. He lifted up the hand just enough to see their tiny forms. “So does this mean I win?” he asked with a smirk.  
  
“Deeeaaannn!” Sam whined. “No fair, you’re not supposed to _trap_ us! That’s against the _rules!_ ” He managed to squirm enough to aim a swift kick at the thumb lying prostrate nearby. It didn’t even occur to him to tell Dean he was too big to play.   
  
“Oh, my bad,” Dean said with a laugh. “Guess I’ll have to let you up then. That way you can get on with the game.” He was still snickering as he lifted his hand away, freeing the two kids back on the bedspread.  
  
Oscar took a breath and blinked at the hand as it lifted away. Just like that, because Dean never intended to keep them stuck there. Oscar smiled faintly while he rolled over and pushed himself shakily to his feet again. He was still a bit wobbly, but once on his feet it was easier to hold onto his balance.  
  
"I never played a game like this before," he told Sam. In truth, he hadn't played many games at all. Sometimes his mother would let him swing back and forth from his climbing rope, and he'd tried building his own supplies when he was much younger (none of them were very successful).   
  
Apparently this one meant he'd have to catch Sam to tag him back. It sounded fun in all its simplicity. "So .... I just gotta tag you back?" he asked Sam, just to be sure. "Then what?"  
  
Sam bounced on his heels, ready to run. “Yep!” he affirmed. “Then _I’ll_ be it, and I’ll have to catch you! It’s easy!” He paused, bracing himself. “Of course, first you have to catch me!”  
  
With that he darted off, heading out of the center of the bed with a laugh. Dean pushed himself up on his elbows so he’d be able to see the other two without a problem, moving his hand away from Oscar to give him room to run. It was certainly going to be an _interesting_ game of tag. He didn’t think there had ever been another game played just on top of _one_ bed.  
  
Oscar flinched in surprise, and wasted no time running after Sam. The plushy surface of the bed was weird to try to sprint on, but he did his best. He even managed not to completely tumble over when he tripped, instead spinning his arms and catching his footing just in time. A smile grew on his face.  
  
Running around and playing wasn't something he'd been able to do for around a year. Oscar, being on his own, had no one to spend time with. The mice would occasionally come and check on him, and once or twice the people from the other side of the motel came around, but mostly it was just Oscar. Oscar and his little house.  
  
 _This_ was much better, and he found himself so grateful he had a whole month to spend time with Sam and Dean. He could actually be a kid for a while. "Almost ..." he muttered, thinking he was just about to catch up to Sam despite his much shorter legs. But a turn from the other boy led Oscar trying to match it too sharply, and this time he did actually tumble to the covers with a chuckle.  
  
“Can’t catch me!” Sam taunted over his shoulders as he caught sight of Oscar’s tumble. It gave him precious seconds to regain his lead on the other kid, and he intended to use them.  
  
Oscar was _fast_ for a little guy.  
  
It made sense, if he thought about it. The other kid had to be quick on his feet since he was all on his own. The only reason Dean had been able to catch him so easily was because at his size, any of their movements just didn’t cover enough ground to make much of a difference.  
  
Sam would have to think smart to get ahead of Oscar and keep the lead. With this thought in mind, he angled for a specific destination.  
  
Dean.  
  
The teen was watching them from overhead, propped up on his elbows. His feet were kicked up in the air against the headboard, giving him plenty of room to lie down with the pillow knocked onto the floor now. And, of course, for someone as small as Sam, he offered the perfect place to climb to escape Oscar.  
  
With Oscar recovering behind him, Sam made it to Dean’s side. He ignored the bemused expression that was watching him and scaled up to a shoulder. From there, he ran towards Dean’s back and paused to catch his breath with a smirk.  
  
Oscar darted after Sam, but slowed at the sight of the other boy scaling up to Dean's shoulder. He'd just so casually climbed up onto a _human._ It was still kind of incredible for Oscar that someone might feel that comfortable around someone so much larger than themselves.  
  
Oscar knew he probably _could_ follow easily enough. But whether he dared to was another story. He hesitated at Dean's side, where it still rested on the bed despite Dean propping himself up and turning himself enough to watch them.  
  
He stood on his tiptoes to see up a little higher and find where Sam had paused on Dean's back. And, of course, to stall his decision on whether or not he'd follow. He had to catch Sam somehow, after all.  
  
“You just gonna take that?” Dean asked with a grin, spotting the hesitation coming from the younger kid. It wasn’t hard to imagine where it was coming from, considering the sheer size difference between the oldest in the room and the youngest. Oscar couldn’t be taller than his pinkie was long. But Dean knew how to keep still (when he wanted to) and he knew exactly where Sam was the entire way. The slight tickle along his back where his younger brother was climbing was a dead giveaway.  
  
Shifting position to free one of his arms, Dean smirked when he felt Sam go tumbling down the slope. He lightly nudged Oscar’s back with his index finger, propelling him forward an inch.  
  
“C’mon, you can’t just let him win without a fight. Show him who’s boss.” He winked at the kid before settling down again so he was motionless.  
  
That didn’t stop Sam from stomping a foot into his back when he managed to pull himself to his feet again. “Jerk!” came the soft response to the movement.  
  
Oscar stumbled towards Dean, still hesitating. But, after the encouragement, he tried to view the slope before him as just another obstacle. Not a being several times his size who could throw him off with barely more than a twitch if he wanted to. It was lucky he _didn't_ want to do that.  
  
Oscar took a deep, slow breath and muttered "Okay," to himself. Then he stepped forward and got hold of the fabric of Dean's jacket, hauling himself up the human's side hand over hand. At least it was easy, like climbing the curtains or the bedspread. It just had the added sensation of steady breathing behind it as well as the body producing lots of heat.  
  
Once he made it onto Dean's back, Oscar returned to a wobbly stand. Now he'd been on a human's hand, shoulder, head, and back. All of them were strange to him. Still, he grinned, proud of himself. "I made it," he mumbled aloud, before looking up from his feet to see where Sam had ended up.  
  
Sam grinned gamely back at Oscar when he saw the other kid actually make it up to Dean’s back. “You did it!” he said, feeling pride that his new friend already trusted his brother enough to come up on his own for the first time, instead of being plucked or scooped off the ground by Dean.  
  
Regardless, they were still playing a game and Sam wasn’t about to make it easy for Oscar to catch him.  
  
From where he’d landed all the way down Dean’s back after the tumble, he angled towards the opposite shoulder from where Oscar had climbed up. “Still too slow!” he called out with a laugh, challenging Oscar to catch him. He felt a laugh rumble up through the surface he was standing on. Dean might not be able to see them, but he could follow what they were doing just from what they said and where they went.  
  
Oscar's first few steps were hesitant. He was walking on a surface that rose and fell with Dean's breathing, though it was surprisingly steadier than he'd expected. Dean was trying really hard not to send the two of them flying. Oscar was grateful, because it was hard enough to walk around like this as it was.  
  
"I-I'm not too _slow,_ you just got a head start," he pointed out, running towards Dean's shoulders. But he paused when Sam passed out of sight behind the tall folds of the hood as it rested against Dean's back. Their hiding place of the day was now hiding Sam from Oscar's pursuit.  
  
After a beat of hesitation, he decided to double around it, to avoid tripping over bigger folds of cloth before he had to. It was tough enough to catch Sam as it was.  
  
Sam giggled to himself as he reached Dean’s shoulder. His older brother could actually catch sight of him from here, one green eye twinkling with just as much mischief as Sam’s were. His lip quirked upwards as he saw Sam duck down to use the hoodie for hiding.  
  
Instead of darting off in another direction, Sam crawled over the small ledge of fabric that the hood formed on Dean’s back. He used the mounds of fabric around him to hide his passage to the other side. Dean’s neck formed a backdrop for his secretive journey as he traversed the strange landscape while trying to keep out of Oscar’s line of sight.  
  
Once Sam was gone from sight, Dean tried to crane his neck more to see if he could spot the other kid that was playing around on his back. It was strangely endearing to watch them have so much fun close by, especially after a few weeks of Sam being nervous around him more often than not.  
  
Oscar frowned in concentration as he rounded the hood, focused more on making it up the slope than anything else. But, as he should have guessed, Sam was out of sight. Oscar stumbled once on his way up, and then found his way to Dean's shoulder where Sam had been standing moments ago. He sighed exasperatedly, peeking over the edge at the short drop to the bed. He didn't think Sam would have jumped down there.  
  
Motion to the side caught his eye and he gasped. If he stood up on his tiptoes, it was easier to see over the folds of fabric as Sam traversed to Dean's _other_ shoulder.   
  
Of course.  
  
Oscar let out a frustrated "Oh," as he hurried to climb over the edge of the hood himself and give chase.  
  
He was just feeling proud of himself for keeping his balance this long when he finally tripped. The thicker fabric of the hood was harder to keep his footing on. The result was Oscar pitching forward, just behind Dean's neck. Thanks to the slope of the human's back, Oscar rolled over just enough times to start a real tumble. Before he knew it, he'd fallen into the bottom of the hood again, where he'd already spent most of the day.  
  
"Ohh, now I'll never catch you," he groaned, starting his climb back up with one hand while trying to push the cloth off his head with the other.  
  
“Can’t give up that easy!” Dean said, still trying to catch a glimpse of them. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he’d felt Oscar’s tumble down his back.  
  
Sam cracked up, hauling on the edge of the hoodie to try and open it up around Oscar again. “I don’t know about that. I _am_ pretty fast!” The heavy fabric wouldn’t give way beneath his hands, but he didn’t give up. He gave it another good yank, trying to help the other kid out.  
  
His own footing slipped and he stumbled back an inch before landing on his butt in surprise.  
  
Oscar pulled himself out of the hood and found Sam sitting nearby. His expression became one of surprise to find the other kid still so near, and he jolted as the objective of the game came rushing back. He scrambled up, kicking back at the edge of the hood to free himself of it completely. The fabric was thick, but thankfully it wasn't heavy enough to weigh him down.  
  
Once he was at a shaky stand, he hopped forward and tagged Sam on the arm like the other boy had tagged him at the start. "I _got_ you," he said proudly, shuffling backwards a bit to avoid Sam catching him again right away. Oscar was beaming, enjoying the game despite never having played before and despite it being a lot of work just to keep up with the other kid. He couldn't remember the last time he had _fun._  
  
Of course, all fun aside, he was still standing on a human's back, near the many folds of cloth that made up his hood. So it was little surprise that Oscar tripped on a fold and toppled over, though at least he didn't fall into the hood this time. He squirmed around and got his bearings enough to scramble down behind the hood again, hoping for a head start on Sam.  
  
Sam clambered to his feet. “It won’t be for long!” he declared with a laugh. He was off in a flash, ready to catch up with the younger kid and get him back. He was getting better at running on the strange surface of the shirt, hopping over a fold into the hood. It shifted under his feet, _almost_ throwing him off balance.  
  
Dean apparently never got the memo about how hard it was to balance on his back. He shifted in place, trying to catch sight of the others. This slight shift sent Sam sprawling on his own, but a fold stopped him from slipping into the hoodie like Oscar had.  
  
“I think it’s _my_ turn to be it!” Dean announced with a glint in his eye. Using only one arm to prop himself up, he reached his other arm around, trying to grab the others off of his back.  
  
The shifting surface of not only the hoodie but the body wearing it was entirely new terrain for Oscar. He didn't hold onto his balance for long as Dean moved to grab at them. After a few tumbles, the tiny kid managed to get a secure grip on Dean's jacket before he fell right off of the teen to the bed.  
  
Of course, his pause in motion left him wide open when a hand snatched him up. The hoodie fabric left his grip and he immediately wriggled against his bonds, formed by fingers bigger than he was. He was, once again, a little disoriented by how fast Dean moved.  
  
"Hey, no fair, I was getting away!" he complained.  
  
“You were!” Dean grinned down at him. “But now _I’m_ it, and the game just got a lot more fun!”  
  
Sam was still clinging to the hoodie, so for the moment Dean lowered Oscar down and dropped him next to his other hand. He twisted his arm back, trying to snatch off the other kid. His first attempt missed. Sam let go of the shirt, sending himself sliding down the steep slope in a last-ditch attempt to escape Dean’s grasping fingers. After a few weeks of goofing off, he’d come up with a few new maneuvers to counteract the size discrepancy between them.  
  
It didn’t do him any good, anyway. He didn’t get far enough down to dodge the second grab. Dean’s hand swung in, scooping him up onto the fingers and sending him rolling into the palm while the fingers curled securely around his body.  
  
Dean brought his hand around to the front, opening it up as soon as he could. “Up for round two?” he asked the two kids with his eyebrows raised.  
  
It was good to be the oldest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oscar's first game of Tag takes an unexpected turn, right onto the human that's laying on the bed with them!
> 
> Next: January 25th


	21. Peanut Butter and Jelly

****Oscar blinked up at the human, wondering if he intended to be 'it' now or if someone else would be picked for it. He hoped it wasn't him again; after all, he'd only just barely gotten Sam when Dean decided to change things around on them. Oscar was already breathing hard from the workout!  
  
"Are you gonna be it, Dean?" Oscar asked, glancing at the hand he'd landed next to. He knew from experience that if Dean decided to pin them under it again in a playful addition to the game, it would be pretty hard to get out from under it. They'd have to do their best to avoid it. "But you're so _fast._ How'll we get very far?"  
  
“Nah,” Dean said dismissively. “I think it’s time to take a break.” Before Sam could open his mouth to complain about him ‘ruining their fun,’ Dean went on. “It’s time for some dinner, anyway.”  
  
 _That_ got Sam to quiet down. The smaller brother looked at his stomach, flushing a bit red when it grumbled at the reminder. Dean gave him a knowing smirk, a matching emptiness in his own stomach.  
  
He held the hand with Sam in it down by Oscar to offer him a lift. “I’ve got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” he informed them. They wouldn’t be able to order out _every_ night, after all. Their dad had given them a card with a limit.  
  
Dean really had to learn how he got those cards.  
  
“Besides,” he said. “I think we’ll have to find a game I can play with ya sometime, right?” As cute as it was to watch them play tag, he wouldn’t mind having a turn.  
  
Oscar almost climbed onto Dean's hand, but jolted when he remembered his bag. He ran over to pick it up and ran back while throwing the overladen cloth container over his shoulder. He clambered onto Dean's hand before it could move out of the way again, settling himself on Dean's palm. It only caught up to him after the fact that he'd done so without any hesitation at all.  
  
"I dunno many games but I bet we could think of _something_ you could play," he mused, shifting his bag onto his lap. Standing up was doable, but he didn't see any reason to risk toppling right over. In the meantime, his thoughts went to the food Dean suggested they have.  
  
"I _heard_ about peanut butter an' jelly sandwiches," he said, a hopeful smile growing on his face. He was trying so many new things in just the last couple of days. He was excited to try another new food.  
  
“They’re good!” Sam promised.  
  
Dean lifted the kids off the bed and stood. “One of Sam’s favorites,” he told Oscar with a grin. “Right up there with… macaroni and cheese.” He tucked his hand against his chest to hold them steady. After the month with Sam he’d adjusted to giving his brother a hand everywhere, but for some reason having an even younger and _smaller_ kid in his hand really drove it home. How fragile they were without him. How easy it would be to make a mistake.  
  
When he reached the table he let them off near the center and went over to the mini-fridge in the room. It was stocked with essentials, including bread, grape jelly, and peanut butter. A knife was easy enough to scrounge up and in short order he had two sandwiches made up.  
  
Dean brought his paper plate over to the table and stuck a napkin next to it. “Two pint-sized sandwiches, coming right up,” he said with a smirk, cutting two corners off of his food. He tried to squish them down small enough for the others to eat, then stuck them on the napkin next to the bottlecaps.  
  
Sometimes, he thought about how really weird his life had become. Then he’d remember he’d been on the road since he was a kid while his dad hunted down supernatural killers and just decided to take it as it came.  
  
Oscar could hardly believe the turns his own life had taken. When he first realized his mom wouldn't be coming back, he had thought for sure he wouldn't last. But he _did._ And, even if he hadn't managed to keep up the strict rules about being caught by a human, even that was going better than he ever could have imagined. Instead of trapping him, Dean had become his friend. For people like Oscar, friends were rare; but he'd managed to end up with _two._  
  
He walked onto the napkin with a curious smile and picked up one of the sandwiches that Dean prepared for them. Even the bread was soft; he was so used to stale breadcrumbs that he forgot that it was actually _supposed_ to be softer. And the sandwich smelled amazing, too, with the thick layers of stuff between the pieces of bread Dean managed to squish down.  
  
It was a lot of food, but he was willing to predict that he'd finish the whole thing. His stomach finally made a noise as if to agree with him, or demand that he eat already. He took a small bite, nibbling at it and doing his best to keep the jelly and peanut butter from falling out.  
  
"This _is_ good," he agreed. "I wish more people would leave stuff like this layin' around."  
  
"Mmm," Sam responded around his own sandwich. He managed to swallow after taking too big of a bite. "It's even _better_ when we get peanut butter and fluff! It's like eating liquid marshmallows, you can't beat it."  
  
"Maybe if you eat all your vegetables, I'll pick some up," Dean said teasingly.  
  
He got a flat look from Sam. "Because you totally get _vegetables_ with all your meals," Sam said dryly.  
  
"Hey, there were tomatoes on the pizza the other night," Dean defended himself. "Plus we had rice." He nodded sharply, satisfied with that.  
  
Oscar watched the two in silence for a moment, simply working on his food. He wasn't sure what marshmallows were, having never seen one before (even the word almost didn't sound real), but he took Sam's word for it. Then again, he wouldn't have too much trouble finishing any vegetables put in front of him either. As long as it was food, Oscar probably liked it. After all, his belly always felt much better after he ate, though in the last couple days he hadn't felt the usual desperate hunger he was used to.  
  
"The rice was good," he chimed in, agreeing wholeheartedly. Even as a mild option, it had plenty of flavor to it. Not to mention the grains were easy to eat. " 'S why I put a bunch in my bag to save," he continued, not even realizing how odd that might sound to them. Stashing food aside was practically an instinct all by itself for him. He always did his best to save off a little bit, even if he could only store a bite. It was better than nothing.  
  
Dean’s brow furrowed at that as he slowly ate, trying to absorb everything Oscar was telling them. It sounded like he had it worse than they ever had. Even when there wasn’t enough food for them both, Dean had been able to make sure that Sam got enough to eat. Oscar was clearly underfed, and a lot skinnier than Sam. He couldn’t see his features as clearly as he should because of the size, but Dean would be willing to bet that Oscar was looking better after the last two days with them than when he’d first gotten caught.  
  
Finished with his bite, Dean leaned forward. “Oz, you can take home as much food as you can carry. In fact…” Dean caught Sam’s eye and quirked a smile at him. “Sam can help carry some extra if you want. The bread will probably last longer for you, but we’ve always got other things…”  
  
“Like peanuts!” Sam chirped helpfully.  
  
Oscar paused in the middle of taking a bite of his sandwich, his eyes wide with awe and gratitude. He'd snuck a lot of the Chinese food the night before as an automatic action. He couldn't help it. But he was once again blown away by how much food Sam and Dean were willing to just _give_ to him. It was so generous of them, and he quickly took his bite and finished it off so he could thank them faster.  
  
"Th-that'd be really nice, if you really wanna share," he told them, unable to withhold a grin. He'd probably picked the best people to be friends with. They kept on giving him more and more food; at this rate he'd fill up his pantry in just a week or two.  
  
A thought struck him and he perked up immediately, excited and relieved that it had occurred to him. "An' I have somethin' in my house that you can have, Sam! I'll show you if you come visit."  
  
Sam bounced in his seat. “Really?!” he exclaimed, his hazel eyes big. “Of _course_ I’ll come visit! That way, I can help you carry some food.” He and Dean exchanged a look, on the same page with getting the younger kid some meals in his home.  
  
Dean was even starting to mellow on the idea of letting Sam go off on his own, if his idea for Sam to help take the food was any indication. The path _had_ to be safe if a kid that was two inches tall took it every day.  
  
Of course, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t fret the entire time they were gone. If Sam left with Oscar, it would be the first time since finding the downsized child on the ground after the witch’s curse took effect that the brothers would be separated, and Dean wouldn’t actually know where Sam was. He’d have no way to help Sam if he needed it.  
  
Dean steeled himself. _You have to trust Sam will be fine. Oscar wouldn’t get him into trouble and he’s traveled that path before. You can’t keep Sam locked up like dad wants to. He deserves better._ “Just make sure to be home by curfew if you go,” was what Dean ended up saying out loud to the others. “Otherwise I’d have to come getcha.” His joke was a little flat from worry at his decision, knowing how angry John would be if he discovered the 2.6 inch tall Sammy was going out on his own and Dean was _letting him_.  
  
Oscar snickered, barely avoiding taking the last bite of food before Dean spoke. Once the giggling was over, he ate the last of his sandwich, shaking his head with bemusement. The thought of Dean trying to crawl his way into the vents had gotten into his head, and it was stuck now.  
  
Of course, the actual concern was worth some attention, too. Once his mouth was no longer full, Oscar answered with an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Dean. It'll be okay. I know the way by heart and it's not very far at all."  
  
He twisted where he sat, facing where his vent was set into the wall. His finger absently traced an invisible pathway and his lips moved as he counted imaginary steps. "I only gotta walk about five or ten minutes from there before I get to my house." He couldn't even imagine the route being much more walking distance than Dean was tall. Short legs walking for ten minutes didn't mean that much to a human.  
  
He looked down at his hands then, rubbing his thumb over a speck of peanut butter on his palm. "I-it really is helpful that you guys keep giving me food," he pointed out.   
  
“That’s not far at all,” Sam commented, craning his neck to peer at the vent with Oscar. Dean could cover that ground in no time at all, based on how short Sam and Oscar’s legs were comparatively, so he probably lived in the walls very close to their room. It was lucky they’d received this room; any other room and they might never have seen him around.  
  
Dean waved off Oscar’s thanks. “Don’t worry about it,” he said to the kid. “You’re helping out Sammy plenty, it’s the least we can do.” _Especially since he doesn’t exactly eat that much,_ he thought to himself. _Not enough to make a huge difference in our food supply, just like Sam._  
  
“You’ll just have to stick around to show Sam the ropes while we’re here.”  
  
Oscar perked up, his face practically beaming. "Of course," he assured Dean with a nod, happy that he really did have something to offer in return. Oscar knew all about how to survive at his size. Sam could benefit just knowing some of the same things, and Dean could benefit knowing his little brother could take care of himself. And Oscar got food; everybody won something.  
  
"I'll do my best. I never thought I'd get to teach someone how to do it." After learning from his mother, Oscar had assumed he'd get a lot more practice in with her around to give him pointers. Without that, he had no idea if he was becoming the "expert" as quickly as most children his size. But he at least had enough skill in him to help Sam.  
  
The others across the motel could have taught Oscar more, if they'd found out sooner that he was on his own. By the time they figured it out, he had been getting by for months. Oscar was tougher than his timid nature might indicate. Sam was already far more confident; he'd be able to learn as quickly as Oscar had to if not faster, with his determination and Dean's help.  
  
"And we can still have _fun,_ right Dean?" Sam asked plaintively as he finished off his sandwich. He brushed his own hands off in turn, hoping Dean wasn't going to keep them from horsing around. It wouldn't be fun to _only_ learn to climb and anything else Oscar could think of. It would be more like John's lessons.  
  
Dean let out a small laugh. "Hey, I still need to best you two at a game _sometime,_ " he said dryly. "I'm not missing my chance to win, kiddo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta have a snack after all that running around! Kiddos need their energy to get up to more mischief, keeping Dean on his toes.
> 
> Next: January 27th


	22. Lessons Round Two

Oscar let out a quiet laugh and pushed himself to his feet. After a day spent huddled and stressed in a hood, and after the running around earlier, stretching out felt good. He lifted his arms over his head, still hardly adding anything to his tiny height in doing so.  
  
"I guess we'll havta think of something you can play, too," Oscar mused. After all, the game earlier, consisting of chasing back and forth and little else, was a little unfair in the human's favor. He'd demonstrated that easily enough. Pinning both kids under his hand and then catching them in a few sweeps made tag a little too easy for Dean.  
  
Oscar didn't know many games. His mom always had him practice hiding in their house so she could come find him, and that was a promising option indeed. Hiding in the big open room offered a lot of different options, and he wondered if the brothers would think it was a good idea. It would be a game Dean could play _and_ it'd help Sam with being "quiet as a mouse,” as mom always used to say.  
  
"M-maybe hide and seek," he said, pursing his lips after the suggestion and hoping it at least wouldn't seem too silly to them. At least they still had climbing practice to think about while they considered. "Sometime. It might be fun."  
  
“I think I can manage that.” Dean thought for a moment. “I think I already know where I’ll hide,” he said. There was a sly gleam in his eyes.  
  
Sam cracked up and bounced to his own feet. “There’s no way we’ll have trouble finding you! You’re too _tall,_ ” he reminded his brother. He kicked at one of the hands Dean had draped on the table. “I bet we find you in no time flat,” he boasted.  
  
Dean couldn’t help but snicker at that. “Maybe,” he conceded. “ _But!_ Don’t forget it takes you longer to search the room, pint-size.” He poked at one of Sam’s small legs, barely longer than an inch in length. “Even with Oscar helping ya.”  
  
Oscar was practically bouncing on his feet with excitement. He hadn't thought the response would be _this_ good. But even Dean was enthusiastic about the game idea he'd had. He was already going over hiding places within the room himself, and he didn't even know when they'd play.  
  
"S-so long as you don't go _outside,_ " he threw in for good measure. It may be obvious that he and Sam couldn't possibly follow if Dean went out the tall door. But he had to say the warning just in case. His grin widened. "And you'll have to try to find _us,_ too, if you can."  
  
“You don’t have to worry about it,” Dean said reassuringly. “If either of you two go anywhere close to the outside, it’s only when  _I’m_ around.” With a matching grin to Oscar’s, he ruffled both kids hair, enjoying the disgruntlement he got back in return to how messy he’d made their bangs.  
  
“But if we’re laying down ground rules,” he said, sobering up a little. “Just make sure you don’t hide anywhere underfoot. You both need to stay safe, no matter what.” That, more than anything, was what drove him anymore. After seeing his little brother get attacked, he refused to let Sam suffer again, and now that same feeling had extended to Oscar, the kid who’d survived on his own barely over two inches in height.  
  
Oscar paused in fixing his messed up hair to shudder. The very thought of hiding somewhere that could get him stepped on was too grim. It was a move reserved for the desperate, someone who had a prayer and no other options for hiding out. The enormous, heavy shoes that humans wore could crush him out of existence more assuredly than their hands could.  
  
So he let his hands drop to his sides and nodded emphatically. He wouldn't need to be told twice. "Okay. There's still a lotta room to hide in anyway," he reasoned. The rules laid out didn't handicap their ability in the least.  
  
He was excited to give it a shot, but he was aware of the other list of things that needed to be done yet. With wide eyes, he glanced between the brothers, so knowledgeable about things he never even considered. All because of ... "Do you havta do 'homework' next? Or did you wanna practice climbing?"  
  
“We _should_ do homework…” Sam said uncertainly.  
  
Dean waved that off, the way Sam would expect. “We’ve got all night for that,” he pointed out. “And there isn’t as much today. You might as well work on climbing.”  
  
Normally, Sam wouldn’t let his brother dissuade him so easily, but he wanted to learn as much as Oscar wanted to teach him. It could be his path to freedom from any reliance… surely that was more important than working on math problems for a school he wouldn’t even see in less than a month?  
  
Sam teetered on the brink of a decision, torn for a moment. They’d still go to school in over a month, but his teacher for how to climb and anything else related to his size, something arguably more important than school had ever been, wouldn’t be there.  
  
“Okay,” he gave in, knowing that this meant Dean wouldn’t be working on homework either. “Let’s climb.” He grinned, suddenly excited all over again at the thought of getting around the room on his own.  


* * *

  
In short order, Dean had gotten the group back over to the nightstand where Sam's hook and thread remained. The shorter piece of furniture was a good place to practice the skill, with its sturdy sides and shorter climb. Climbing the table, with nothing around in the gaping space underneath it, was daunting in its own way.  
  
Oscar set his bag next to the alarm clock and uncoiled his own thread, peering over the side. "Well I guess to start you can try to climb down," he mused. "It can take some practice, too. It's hard 'cause you can't look at where you're going as easy." Trying to twist around to look anywhere but forward or up could make someone fall, as Oscar had demonstrated last time.  
  
Opening up his pin, Oscar hooked it carefully on the edge of the nightstand, and sat down with his legs dangling over the side. He looked over his shoulder at Sam, patiently waiting for the other kid in case he had questions or worries.  
  
Sam imitated Oscar’s motions, setting up his pin the exact same way. He pushed at it to see how well it was anchored to the edge of the nightstand and gave a sharp nod. It didn’t move at his touch.  
  
Of course, then it came time to peer off the edge of the nightstand. The ground telescoped beneath his dangling feet, and he had to lean back to compose himself. Earlier, he’d climbed without really looking down. If he’d tried to sneak a glimpse, Dean’s hands were there to reassure him.  
  
Now, he could see what it was like for Oscar every time he needed to climb. Sam took a deep breath. _Can’t let Dean see you’re nervous,_ he told himself. For a second his eyes met the eyes of the large teen, who was sitting next to the small bedside table. There was nothing but curiosity and support in them so he wouldn’t need to worry about teasing.  
  
Yet, at least.  
  
Sam glanced at Oscar. “O-okay, now what?”  
  
Oscar was not as affected by the height when he looked over the edge. He couldn't afford for it to make him nervous, so he'd gotten over that very quickly; he was willing to bet that Sam would too, once he got the hang of it. After all, Sam was _brave._ He even stood up to Dean, someone so much bigger than him.  
  
Of course, actually thinking of how he normally climbed down was an interesting thought exercise. He never usually had to _think_ about every step he took in the process. He just _did_ them. But now, he needed to explain every detail to Sam so he wouldn't get the other boy hurt.  
  
"Um, w-well, maybe just watch me first," he suggested, getting up. He turned so his feet were planted right on the edge of the table, one on either side of the hook while he held the thread in his hand (guarded by his sleeves). For the moment, he ignored the fact that Dean's hand hovered below. He needed to operate as if it _wasn't_ there. "Getting started is the tricky part," he explained further, pausing in that position for Sam to get a good look at his stance.  
  
There were a number of ways to actually get started climbing down. Normally, Oscar would have already hopped backwards and planted his feet against the edge of the drawer on the front of the nightstand, creating the initial tension in his climbing rope to begin the rest of the slide down. Instead of doing things so quickly, he leaned his small weight backwards a bit before shuffling his feet over the edge, tightening his grip on the line. Once he had made it partway down, he moved his feet so they were pinched around the thread instead.  
  
"Just, um," he said, pausing while still hanging right there mere inches from Sam. "Just make sure you get yourself over the edge without just pulling the hook off instead. Then it's easier than climbing up, I think!"  
  
Sam gulped, but after arguing with Dean that he wanted to learn, he couldn’t turn back now. He nodded to show Oscar that he was listening, then followed the other boy’s lead. The hook shook a little as Sam leaned backwards, but his weight wasn’t enough to pull it off of the nightstand from that angle.  
  
Dean’s hand was instantly under him as the thread tightened in his grasp. Sam’s grip tightened even more, his knuckles white.  _Just don’t look down. That’s the trick. Don’t look down._  
  
Once he was off the shelf, he followed Oscar’s example and took his feet away from the edge. Sam slipped an inch down and gasped, wrapping his legs around the thread. His eyes scrunched closed. _You’re fine. You’re fine you’re fine you’re fine. Dean’s right there. He’s not gonna let you fall._  
  
Eventually he managed to pry his eyes open and move his feet into the same position as Oscar. “I think I’ve got it…”  
  
Oscar, watching carefully, offered Sam a grin. He really was doing well for his first time doing that, even though it was kind of a scary thing. A fall from that height could lead to several broken bones, but with Dean's help, Sam could practice without worrying about that.  
  
"Yup, you got it," Oscar agreed, proud of the other kid. He glanced over Sam's hands and feet, making sure they were in good position before going with the next steps. "Now you just do what you did yesterday but move one hand down at a time instead." Oscar demonstrated, moving carefully hand under hand down the length of thread.  
  
It was the more basic way to get down from someplace higher up. Oscar was looking forward to showing Sam some of the more advanced ways. Climbing up really only had the one option, since they were fighting gravity, but climbing down meant they could use gravity in their favor, especially if a quick escape became necessary.  
  
Sam followed behind him, hand over hand as he lowered himself down. Holding himself up this time around was just as strenuous as climbing down had been the first time around. His arms had never developed muscles for this kind of activity.  
  
He’d just have to keep practicing so it would get easier.  
  
Dean lowered his hand at the same rate as Sam moved along the thread, overseeing his little brother’s progress. His eyes didn’t show as much stress as they had the first time around, but his hand didn’t waver.  
  
This time, neither of the two practicing climbers ended up falling before reaching the floor. Oscar was pleased about that, both because it meant Sam was getting some good practice in and because he didn't embarrass himself falling like last time. Maybe that fall was just a fluke; he'd tell himself that at least.  
  
When Dean's hand was out of the way for him to set his shoes down on the worn carpet fibers, Oscar let go of the thread. It swung faintly next to him while he grinned over at Sam. "You did really good, Sam," he complimented. Even though he'd never done it before, Sam was clearly proving himself to be a natural at this.  
  
Sam dropped to the ground with a grin. “Thanks!” He shot the grin up at Dean, glad to see his older brother didn’t seem bored by his new pastime of watching over the two kids that were smaller than his fingers climb around. Far from it, in fact. The teen seemed fascinated by the two of them and Sam could imagine why. Too bad they’d had to discover that there were smaller people in the world by Sam being cursed by a witch.  
  
He gave the thread a sharp tug, trying to free the pin from above. Nothing happened. “How’d ya get it down before?” Sam asked Oscar curiously, remembering how easily he’d done it.  
  
Oscar couldn't help the quiet giggle that bubbled up out of his throat. Only some of it was amusement at Sam's attempt to free his pin from the edge of the nightstand. The rest was sheepishness that he hadn't anticipated the need to show this, too. At least Sam had demonstrated to himself how secure the pin was once it was properly in place.  
  
Getting it out of that, of course, would take more than just tugging on the thread. "R-right, just grab the thread and give it a good flick," Oscar explained, doing just that while he spoke. A wave of agitation rushed up the thread to where he'd anchored it, jostling the pin from its position so it fell towards the floor.  
  
The silvery pin fell straight down, hardly affected by the air in the room, and it was simple for Oscar to catch it safely in both hands.  
  
Sam stuck his tongue out as he mimicked the motion. His own pin came loose, and he ran forward to catch it. He almost missed, snagging the edge at the last second. “Got it!” he declared happily as he ran back over to the other two. “Didja see?” he called up to Dean, brandishing his new equipment for his brother to see.  
  
“Good job, pint-size!” Dean congratulated him as he held up a finger. Sam smacked it triumphantly. He held out the finger to Oscar next. “You’re pretty slick yourself there, Oz.”  
  
Oscar straightened as the fingertip approached him, a little amazed that he was receiving the gesture, too. At first he'd been confused, but seeing Sam's easy reaction had reminded him; he'd seen 'high fives' before, but never in a form like this. He had to grin as he mimicked Sam, smacking the fingertip and once again ignoring an opportunity to tell Dean off for the silly nickname he'd decided on. He was too excited about being included in the much bigger kid's praise.  
  
"Th-thanks! I got lot of practice before, but Sam is learning faster than _I_ did," he pointed out with an encouraging grin. Sam might wind up being _better_ at it before they knew it.  
  
That didn't bother him in the slightest. Oscar felt a strong pride growing that he was helping someone out like this. Someone who might otherwise not be able to learn how to climb a rope like he needed to. And he had made a pair of friends, the first ones he ever had. His smile wouldn't go away completely at the thought.  
  
“Sam is also _older_ than you were when you started to learn,” Dean allowed. “Not to mention the kid always climbed any tree he could find when we were outside. _Those_ just weren’t as high up as that nightstand there, and we didn’t have to worry about any sheer cliffs.”  
  
“Just annoying big brothers,” Sam chimed in. “Not that you’d ever have a chance against me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's still got a lot to learn. He's going to put his all into it so he masters his new size!
> 
> Next: February 1st


	23. A Peanut or Two

More small giggles made it out of Oscar, though his eyes were still a little wide from the thought of climbing a _tree._ He'd seen them before on the TVs in the motel. He'd never had a chance to see a real one, but if the pictures were any indication, trees were so _tall._ Much bigger than Dean was now. Even though Sam had climbed them when he was human sized, it still sounded so impressive.  
  
The world outside that big motel room door was so much bigger than Oscar could really comprehend. Even now, standing on the carpet in one room, the floor stretched out on either side, with piles of dustbunnies populating the shaded areas under the beds. Dean was like a tower in front of him even though the teen was seated on his knees.  
  
Oscar found himself wondering what it was like to be big enough for that big world out there, only to lose that and end up as small as Sam had. He couldn't decide whether or not it was worse than growing up knowing everything was too big for him.  
  
"I-I guess it's too bad Dean can't practice with us," Oscar mused, joining in with Sam's light teasing.  
  
“It’s okay,” Dean said, letting their teasing roll right over him. “I’ll getcha when it’s time for hide and seek. I’ll _definitely_ win at that.” He shuffled back a few inches from where the others were to give them some space down on the floor. He took his eyes away from the two kids on the floor to glance around the room and scope out hiding spots, trying to build up a plan for when they got the chance to play one night. His hiding spot would have to be the best if he was going to be hard to find for two kids smaller than his fingers. They’d have the home field advantage.  
  
Oscar chuckled, glancing to the ground as Dean shifted. He could feel the rumblings in the floor from Dean moving, and he wondered what it would feel like if he was under the floor. Oscar didn't go under the floorboards of the motel much, only once or twice as a shortcut. It unnerved him to think of the heavy things hanging just overhead, even knowing they probably couldn't fall through.  
  
He glanced over and saw Sam picking up the long thread attached to his pin, gathering it up in his hands. Oscar glanced down at his own pin and closed it up, reeling in his thread, too. "S-Sam, when you visit my house, I have an extra bag like this one," he said, turning slightly to show off the bag hanging at his side. "You can have it so you don't have to leave your pin anywhere. You _gotta_ have a bag for supplies you find. Anything could be useful!"  
  
“Really?” Once again, Sam’s eyes grew wide at the thought of having a bag of his own. Anything made for his size, really. It wouldn’t even be something that Dean picked up at the store from the girly section like his spare clothes.  
  
He whipped around to stare up at Dean, catching his older brother completely off guard. “Can we go to Oscar’s house? _Please?_ ”  
  
“Ah…” Dean flailed around for a second with his thoughts. “If Oscar wants to go back, I don’t see why not.” He couldn’t even gather his thoughts together enough to remember his decided upon nickname for the younger kid. Not with those potent hazels pointed right at him and dialed up to full power.  
  
Oscar perked up. He hadn't meant _right now,_ but Sam's excitement was a little bit infectious. It was no wonder that Dean couldn't resist. Even Oscar was swayed by the idea almost immediately. He hoped his house didn't end up being disappointing to the older kid, who was probably used to better-constructed homes in general.  
  
"Y-yeah, I guess we can go see it now," he agreed, his smile returning. "I gotta unload my bag sometime anyway, it's so full." And it was full, overladen with rice and some other small bits of the Chinese food from the night before. Oscar wouldn't have any room if he found something around that he could fashion into a tool.  
  
Remarkably, Oscar could actually think about making tools and things, instead of the next meal. With his new friends around, he'd already had more than one meal in a day, and so the usual desperate drive to make sure he could eat was not so pressing. He couldn't help but be very happy about that, and there was a certain brightness in his eyes that wasn't usually there.  
  
“That’s right.” Reminded by Oscar’s mention of how full his bag was, Dean sprang to his feet to grab the peanuts they’d told him he could take. They’d told him he could have them, which for Dean was as good as giving the small kid their word.  
  
The teen’s face fell when he saw Sam and Oscar flinch back from him when he was on his feet. He tried to give Sam a reassuring look, letting him know that he’d always be safe no matter what, even standing on the floor, but to his dismay the distance between them… a distance that was simply Dean’s height… kept him from being able to see Sam’s face clearly.  
  
They were _so small._  
  
He hurried away to get the food. He didn’t want to extend his time standing over them anymore than they wanted to stand down by his feet. It was a sharp, _painful_ reminder to the teen of his failure to protect Sam that fateful day a month ago.  
  
Dean was quiet as he got out the container of peanuts and thought about how Sam would be able to carry more than one or two in his arms. He couldn’t exactly just take a handful like Dean could… An idea hit and Dean grabbed a napkin, tearing off a smaller piece.  
  
With a bundle of peanuts wrapped inside, Dean came back over to the other two and knelt down. “Think you can manage this?” he asked quietly as he held out the packet to his younger brother.  
  
Sam snatched it away. “You bet!” he declared.  
  
Oscar's eyes were wide as he beheld the bundle in Sam's arms, almost as big as the bag he wore over his shoulder. The rumbling in the ground from Dean's footsteps was entirely forgotten at the sight of how much food they were letting him take. It was so little compared to Dean, but it was so much for Oscar. Just that bundle alone could last him a week or two under normal circumstances.  
  
Just one peanut was almost as big as his head. There were several in the napkin that Dean had bundled up. And the food filling up Oscar's bag should last a long time, too; he'd tried to grab things that wouldn't spoil or attract ants. He didn't need bugs or mold encroaching on his small home when he was taking care of it on his own.  
  
His smile was practically beaming and he was almost bouncing on his feet. He was doing so much better getting food with their generous help than he ever did on his own, scraping by meal by meal. It began to seem more and more fortuitous that he'd been captured by Dean, as backwards as that seemed.  
  
"Okay, well, the best way to my house is from that vent over there," Oscar reminded them, pointing across the floor to the vent opposite the beds looming overhead. Even with one of the beds "in the way,” it was a clear shot straight to it thanks to all the space underneath the furniture.  
  
Sam and Dean both looked towards where he indicated. Dean hesitated, then went to offer them a lift like normal.  
  
This time, Sam tried to wave him off. “I want to try walking across the floor,” he said beseechingly, his eyes hopeful. “I want to do things myself.”  
  
Dean paused, his hands halfway there. “Alright,” he said in surprise, lettings his hands fall again. “Just… let me know if you need a hand, okay?” Feeling out of place if they were going to be walking around, he got up and hopped onto the bed so he could watch them from above and not be completely in the way.  
  
Sam grinned and waved at him from the floor, still amazed at how much Dean was letting him do. This would be his first time walking across the floor on his own since the curse, and as nerve wracking as it was when he glanced around at the huge expanse, at least they had the older boy watching out for them.  
  
Oscar's eyebrows shot up at the sight of Dean peeking over the edge of the bed. It was so strange to think that normally, that could be one of the most heart-stopping sights he ever looked up to see. But now, he just grinned and waved like Sam before adjusting his bag on his shoulder to get started.  
  
He took the first excited steps towards the vent, looking over his shoulder to make sure Sam was following. He angled towards the bed, since a brief shortcut underneath it would make their trip a lot shorter. The space under the beds was easily over twice Sam's height. They would fit without any trouble, and it'd be like the ceiling above to Dean, except they'd be under a mattress that creaked a little with every shift Dean made.  
  
"It won't take long to get there at all," he mused. "Sometimes it feels like the floor is so wide and it'll take forever to get across but I always get there faster than I expect."  
  
Sam clutched the bundle of peanuts close to his chest as he ran a few steps to catch up to Oscar. He stared up at the ‘ceiling’ above them, unable to take his eyes off the mattress. He was right under the bed, yet it had become an alien landscape. His head was on a swivel while they went, staring at the dustbunnies that lurked nearby, some close to the same size as the two kids.  
  
Above them, the bed creaked loudly as Dean shifted to a new position. The thought of someone so huge moving right above them sent a slight chill up his back, but he knew as well as anyone that as big as Dean was, the bed would have no problem supporting his weight. Their dad was much, _much_ bigger, and the mattresses were just as fine with _that_ much weight.  
  
“Walking across the room now’s a lot different than it was when I was normal-sized,” Sam said as he blinked up at the world around them. “It’s so… open.”  
  
Oscar had to pause to think on the phrase _normal-sized._ To him, _this_ was his normal. He was still amazed that there was someone like him who _didn't_ see all the looming furniture and huge humans as normal. Sam _was_ a human once. He could be almost as big as Dean, but he wasn't due to some curse.  
  
Oscar wondered what it'd be like if Sam managed to break his curse. Would he still remember that people like Oscar were out there, just trying to get by? He seemed like the kind of person who would, and Oscar smiled softly.  
  
"I don't really _walk_ across the floor most of the time," he admitted. "Even when no one's here I don't like to be out in the open ... mom always told me to be ready to hide fast. We always gotta be ready to hide."  
  
“Y’know,” Sam said, his brow furrowing, “I don’t think I would have understood that before I was cursed, but now…” He glanced around at the darkness under the furniture. He thought about what things would be like if the person sitting on the bed overhead wasn’t Dean. How afraid he’d be. “I get it now. I spent so long just sticking close to Dean I could almost forget how… _small_ I am now.”  
  
Oscar nodded absently. To him, small was his usual. Even among his own kind, he was a runt and he knew it. He had hopes of stretching out a little more by the time he was fully grown, but for now, _small_ was his whole life. He'd never known anything different, so he couldn't relate to Sam's musings.  
  
"Well. At least Dean _is_ around, to make sure other humans don't get you. I just learned the other way 'cause I don't have a human," Oscar pointed out, just as they reached the edge of the bed before the wide expanse of empty carpet before the vent. Usually his lessons were to wait, watch, and listen. But he already knew where Dean was, and he could hear the human's breathing above. Oscar shook his head, trying to forget how nerve wracking that was supposed to be. He'd found a _safe_ human.  
  
"I always run for this part," Oscar said with a grin. "Wanna try a race?"  
  
“Yeah!” Sam said, enthused by the idea. Even with all the energy they’d burned through playing tag he was still raring to go. He’d never turn down a challenge, not after living with Dean all his life. Up until a month ago, they’d been shooting challenges at each other constantly. For a time, he’d been afraid that would stop completely. Having Oscar around was showing them that there were things they could still do together. It just took having a new perspective around to show them what they had.  
  
Dean poked his head over the top of the bed, trying to spot the two he could hear talking under the edge of the bed. “Didja need a judge?” he asked hopefully, still trying to stay involved with the other two despite his size difference.  
  
The creaking above reminded Oscar of the third person directly overhead. He took a step or two forward and craned his neck back so he could look up at the human that peeked down at them. A smile came to his face even while he shifted his bag up under his arm so it wouldn't go swinging into his side with each step.  
  
"Yeah, okay," he replied, having no problem at all including Dean in the little game. He was a little proud of himself for coming up with it all by himself, considering he didn't often play when he was on his own. He never had time too. Now, he was full of energy just from being able to eat more and he was happy that he had friends to spend so much time with. He wished the month could last forever.  
  
“Awesome!” Dean vanished from overhead, going to get off of the bed from the side. With the two kids safely under the front of the bed he didn’t need to worry about stepping down onto the floor.  
  
Sam watched as the socked feet touched down against the ground, eyes wide at the sight of how _big_ his brother was from the ground. The ground shook under them as he walked over to the vent, sitting down by the side.  
  
“Ready?” Dean called out.  
  
For his part, Oscar had to fight the urge to dart back under the bed and hide as far back in the shadows as he could. Normally the sight of a human walking around from that close was a very _very_ bad sign. Oscar had gotten a glimpse of that truth when Dean first scooped him up. The difference between now and then was that before, he didn't have any knowledge of his own safety to cling to in order to avert panic.  
  
Even so, he didn't realize he was holding his breath until Dean sat down opposite them. He let the smile back onto his face with the human no longer in motion shaking the floor. He glanced aside at Sam, before calling "Y-yeah, I think so!"  
  
So far away, Dean didn't spot the lingering nerves on the other two. He held up his hand with a challenging smile. “Ready… Set…”  
  
As he counted down to the race, Sam tried to shift the peanut bundle to a better position for running. It was like he had an overstuffed backpack to hang on to with no way of sealing it shut.  
  
He wasn't going to spill any of the food. Not after everything Oscar had done for him.  
  
Dean dropped his hand. “Go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to say 'thanks' than with food? 
> 
> Next: February 3rd


	24. Lead the Way

They were off like tiny shots. Even with their somewhat cumbersome parcels to carry, the two younger kids gave it their all running towards Dean. Tiny legs barely an inch long stirred up the air and pushed off carpet fibers that were thick and coarse to them rather than the intended soft and fluffy that Dean would feel.  
  
It went against everything Oscar knew, to run _towards_ a human. And yet, he did his best to keep apace with Sam, determined not to fall behind. He knew he'd be safe, even when he was in grabbing distance of the enormous teenager.  
  
His bag almost slipped out from under his arm once or twice, and shifting it while also running was an interesting adventure. It made him lose a few steps, but Oscar was speedy. He managed to regain some of his lost ground in short order.  
  
Racing out in the open made it easier to avoid thinking of how high above them the ceiling was, or how far around them the floor stretched in every direction. It made something that was normally so nerve wracking into a fun experience. Oscar's heart pounded, but not from fear; it was purely from the thrill of playing a simple game, and he had a smile on his face as he ran.  
  
Sam was intent on keeping his footing as he ran alongside, and briefly in front of, Oscar. It wasn’t the easiest with the strange landscape of the motel room carpet. He’d been used to the ground always being flat when he was walking around before he was cursed; now it was thick enough that he could easily get a foot caught on a tangle of fibers that would send him and the peanuts sprawling.  
  
Past the halfway point Sam had to adjust the bundle in his arms. It was beyond awkward to run with the napkin-wrapped peanuts and he had to gather part of the corner so that none of the food slipped out of it. Sam grit his teeth when he saw Oscar slip ahead of him for a moment. The other kid was _fast_ for his smaller size. He ignored the sight of the room around them, completely set on reaching Dean first and winning.  
  
With their focus on the game instead of on the wide expanse of open air around them, the distance was covered in no time. What could have been an unnerving trek across a space that offered no hiding places and no sense of _safety_ had become their track, their chance to win a little game. When they finally reached Dean and Oscar staggered to a stop, he wasn't even sure who was winning.  
  
He took a few deep breaths and continued to smile over at Sam. "Wow," he breathed. "That was pretty fun." It was so different from what he was used to. He'd just tried to get to a human first, rather than bolting in the opposite direction in the hopes of avoiding said human. He angled his face upwards towards Dean, his eyes wide and bright with enthusiasm.  
  
"S-so how did we do?" he asked, eager for Dean's judgment on their little race.  
  
“Hmmmm…” Dean pretended to look them over, sizing up the pair after the race. He was taking his time stretching out the moment he announced the winner, relishing the chance of being involved with the game despite everything else.  
  
He cracked a grin at last. “It was a tie,” he announced. “You two run a close race.”  
  
Dean nudged Sam with a finger. “We’re gonna have to train you up, pint-size. Maybe next time you’ll come out on top.” He gave Oscar a wink at the same time, knowing the other kid had more reasons to be quick on his feet. Necessity was a powerful teacher.  
  
Oscar beamed, though he probably would have been happy regardless of the outcome of their race. In the last few days alone, he'd found so many reasons to be happy, he was practically giddy with it. He let his bag hang at his side once more, now that he wasn't running, and shuffled one of his small shoes against a particularly worn down carpet fiber.  
  
"It prolly didn't help that you had to carry that big bundle," he pointed out to Sam, his eyes drifting to the napkin in Sam's arms. The napkin he was carrying to help _Oscar_ have more food. If not for that, he probably would have won; his legs were longer than Oscar's were, after all.  
  
He drifted towards the wall, stopping an inch or two short of the vent. One glance down the metal corridor revealed a familiar route, a way he had walked many times in the last year, and that now he'd be joined on by a friend. Oscar looked back out at the room, gaping overhead and around them, while he waited for Sam to make sure he was ready. He didn't want to make the other kid nervous rushing into the walls if he'd never been there before.  
  
Sam bounced on his heels. “You had that bag to deal with too,” he said to Oscar. “I’m not the _only_ one with stuff to carry!”  
  
His entire body was jittery after the race, and he had a hard time staying still as he glanced at the metal vent. To him, it had a darkness inside and he could feel nerves trying to rise up in him and keep him from traveling inside. He couldn’t stay still as he shifted from one leg to the other.  
  
Before he was ready, he glanced up at Dean. “You won’t be far when I come back, will you?” he asked as he remembered he’d have to come back to the vent and slip into the room again.  
  
Dean nodded down at him. “I’ll watch out for you, don’t you worry.” He lightly nudged Sam on the side. “You’re not getting cold feet, are ya?” he teased.  
  
“Nuh-uh!” Sam protested. “I’m ready to go, I just want to make sure _you’ll_ be where you're supposed to be!”  
  
Oscar giggled quietly at their exchange, and then climbed up to stand on the edge of the vent, this time avoiding stepping right in the line of salt. He was halfway in the room and halfway in the walls now, where he stood. The space between the grates was more than enough for him to stand in comfortably, though he did have to shove his bag aside to make room for it.  
  
"We can go put that stuff down real quick," he mused, grinning at both brothers in turn. "And then come make sure Dean's where he's supposed to be." The faintest hopeful note tinged his words. Oscar loved his home and he didn't mind being in the walls at all. But it was fun out here, far more than he anticipated when he first timidly stepped back into the room.  
  
“Don’t _worry,_ ” Dean said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll _behave._ ” He arched his eyebrows at the two of them. “ _Maybe_ I’ll even work on my homework while I hang out on my own.”  
  
If Sam hadn’t been holding the bundle of food, he would have tossed his hands up in amazement. “Wonders never cease,” he called up with a grin at Dean’s expense. He made his way over to the vent and pushed the napkin of peanuts onto the edge before he pulled himself up as well. “Is it gonna fit?” he asked, critically eyeing up the opening into the walls.  
  
Oscar slipped the rest of the way into the vent, hopping down the short distance. His feet made the faintest metallic echo when they hit the floor of the air conditioned corridor. He observed the bundle of food from the other side, before nodding. "I think it'll fit," he determined. To prove it, he reached out and carefully tugged the bundle through, drawing it into the vent after him.  
  
"An' you'll fit too," he commented with a grin once the task was done. Oscar waited just inside the vent, with the light still on his face from the room. His encouraging smile would be impossible for Sam to miss, and even Dean might still be able to see it if he leaned down just a little. "I'll lead the way, so don't worry about the dark ... I guess it takes a little getting used to, but I keep the path clear."  
  
Dean leaned over to watch as Sam squished himself into the vent behind the bundle. The smaller Winchester didn’t have a hard time fitting, so it was probably a way that adults Sam and Oscar’s scale would use to to get in and out of the rooms as well.  
  
Dean wrapped his fingers around the slits of the vent. They were thin enough to fit at least for this. “Be careful Sammy,” he said in a hushed whisper. It was going to be one of the first times that Sam was completely out of reach for him since the curse, and he could feel the tension in his shoulders.  
  
Sam punched one of the fingers. “We’ll be fine,” he called out, peering through the vent. “Don’t _worry,_ okay?”  
  
Dean poked back at that. “You say that like it’s easy, pipsqueak.”  
  
Sam gathered up his bundle of peanuts. “Lead the way!” he said brightly, hiding any nervousness he felt at the darkness.  
  
"Okay," Oscar replied, glancing at the fingertips that had worked their way into the slits of the vent. He hoped Dean wouldn't worry _too_ much about Sam. After all, they weren't going very far from him, but then again Sam wasn't part of the world Oscar lived in. It would probably continue to amaze the younger kid that Sam hadn't grown up with darkness like this around him. To Oscar, it was kind of comforting.  
  
"This way," he muttered, starting down the hall made of metal. He took slow steps, remembering that he didn't need to hide the sound of them as much. It was only Dean that might possibly hear them, and Sam probably needed help finding his way.  
  
When they reached the edge of the light that bled into the vent, Oscar stopped. It was only a little bit longer before they reached his little door in the metal, but he looked back at Sam to check on his friend. Oscar felt a little bit like he was taking care of Sam now, the way the other boy had taken care of him when he was nervous. He reached out and placed a tentative hand on Sam's arm, wrapped around the napkin full of peanuts. "Can you see? I can guide you, i-if you need me to."  
  
“I, ah…” Sam trailed off, trying to blink rapidly to clear up his sight. It didn’t do much good. The only light he could see was behind them, coming from the vent in the motel room. The room where he could hear his brother moving around. It was beginning to sink in what a terrifying sound that would be if he didn’t know the human in question. How easily they could end up captured if they were trapped in a room with a stranger.  
  
“It’s really dark,” Sam admitted as he let those thoughts slide away. “I can’t really see _much._ ” He wasn’t about to turn down help when he really needed it. He didn’t have anything to prove here. “Thanks.”  
  
Oscar offered a smile. "No problem," he muttered back, starting up his slow, careful walk once more. This time he kept his hand on Sam's arm, guiding the blinded kid along. Oscar could still see well enough for the both of them, and when they reached the loose panel that led out of the vents and into the walls themselves, he stopped and gave Sam's arm a slight squeeze to let him know to stop too.  
  
After pushing the small, loose piece of metal aside, Oscar looked over at Sam. He could see that those hazel eyes were open wide, trying to see the world around him. "Lemme take those for a second," Oscar said quietly, gathering Sam's bundle into his arms and setting them aside. "There's a little door here," he explained, guiding Sam's hand to the edge of it. "Only a little ways further to my house from here. I can hand the food through to you."  
  
Sam touched the edge, running his hand up it so he knew the basic outline of the door he was going to slip through. “Okay,” he said, his voice instinctively soft in the darkness. It felt… wrong to talk normal inside the walls like this.  
  
Once he had a vague idea about the shape of the door, he made his way through it. It was smaller than he’d expected, but not _too_ small for the kids to make it. Inside, he blinked again, trying to resolve what little light he could into shapes. “Ready,” he said, reaching out blindly for the package of food that Oscar was holding for him.  
  
Oscar placed the parcel in Sam's hands with care, making sure he didn't spill anything and making sure Sam had it before letting go of the weight. With that taken care of, he slipped through the door himself, finding it quite roomy for his skinny frame. Even his overladen bag fit well enough through. He tugged the metal panel back into place, making sure it was sealed, before finding Sam's arm again in the dark.  
  
There was a smile on his face even though Sam couldn't see it. Oscar was kind of excited to show his home to his friend. "We're almost there," he said in a hush similar to the volume Sam had used. It just made sense to be a little quieter in the dark.  
  
Indeed, they were. Oscar’s fabric shoes and Sam’s human boots made faint scrapes against the dusty concrete as he led the way towards his house. It was nestled away, barely around a corner ahead of them, and by the time he reached the wooden block that was his door, he was practically bouncing. "We're here," he whispered excitedly, taking his hand back to shove the block aside with a scraping sound.  
  
Light, courtesy of the crack on the far wall, leaked out into the walls, illuminating the slightly uneven shape of the door. The main room really was barely wide enough for Dean to stretch his hands out in it. The curtained shelf that was the pantry was visible from outside, taking up the nearest wall, and just standing in the doorway revealed the makeshift table with the two chairs made of spools.  
  
Oscar let Sam in ahead of himself before pushing the door back into place, and then watched the other boy's face to see what he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time has come to explore!
> 
> Next: February 8th


	25. A Home for Oz and a Friend for Sam

Sam stepped into the small home, blinking in surprise as his eyes adjusted to having actual light around him once more. It was a good thing they’d come while there was day remaining outside. All of the light inside came from what managed to leak through the walls. Scattered beams of the sun lit up a set of shelves across from him.  
  
He glanced every which way, wanting to see it all at once. “This is all yours?” Sam asked in hushed awe. The table was unique and created just for their size. The spools might not be the most comfortable seats compared to what he’d seen in the past but they were comparable to some of the wooden dining room sets in previous motels.  
  
Sam grinned as he saw the silver foil of the Hershey Kiss sticking out from the fabric draping over the shelf that was set up in the room. He put down the bundle of peanuts on the same shelf, turning to look back at Oscar. “I can’t believe it… it’s all made for our size…” He trailed off, looking at the spools. His ears turned red. “Or at least _works_ for our size,” he amended.  
  
Oscar began to unload the contents of his own bag onto the shelves, a little giddy just seeing how much food he had in his home all at once. It had been such a long time since he'd had that much stored, and he had a sneaking feeling he might end up with more if he kept hanging around Sam and Dean.  
  
"Yeah, it works really well," he replied, smiling at Sam. His eyes drifted to his comfortable chair, which was an open ringbox with the foam base and silky covering over the bottom part. His latest weaving project was strewn across it, but Oscar left his bag to dart over and move that out of the way. The half-formed cloth formed a heap next to the blue velvety box.  
  
"This is the best chair, but it's too short to reach the table," he explained, offering it for Sam to sit while he hopped up onto one of the spools. Oscar's feet didn't reach the floor from his seat, instead swinging back and forth. He was happy that Sam seemed to like his house. He never expected that level of awe over such a small place.  
  
Sam took Oscar’s offer and sat in the ringbox, surprised when he sank down into the cushion. “Oh!” he exclaimed in surprise. “That’s nice.” He let himself lean back, kicking his feet out in front of the ringbox to stretch out. The foam gave to even his small weight, making a divot for him to rest in. It was much better than sitting on the side of a book. The only place he might choose over sitting on it would be his brother’s shoulder, and that was because it was a lot warmer to sit on Dean. The cold was more biting at this size. He gave a small shudder when he remembered that the winter wasn’t far away.  
  
He shifted in the seat, getting comfortable. “I don’t think I’ve sat somewhere so comfortable since I shrank,” he confided in the other kid. “I mean. The pillow is comfortable, but it’s not really a seat. Plus Dean’s bounced on the bed more than once when I was on it and almost sent me flying. _Now_ he does it on purpose.” He shook his head at the memory.  
  
Oscar's eyes glazed over for a second as he imagined the scenario. Having been on a pillow just the night before, he could easily remember how cloud-like and soft it was. It was easy to fall asleep on it, but it was also very easy to lose his balance. He'd seen evidence of that when he fell on Dean's arm trying to walk off the gigantic cushion.  
  
"Th-that sounds kinda scary," Oscar admitted with a sheepish chuckle. Oscar had never done anything remotely like that; if he was going to be moving through the air, he had a firm grip on his climbing thread the whole time.  
  
“It’s not _that_ bad…” Sam replied thoughtfully as he remembered the last time it had happened. Dean always made sure he was okay, after all. It was a lot like being on a big fluffy trampoline.  
  
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Oscar blurted, hopping down from his spool. He darted to the side, past a small doorway into another room that might pass for a closet to a human. When he returned, he was clutching a cloth bag much like the one he had left over by his pantry. The one he held was made of sturdy grey fabric, and wasn't quite as worn as his own.  
  
"You should keep this one," Oscar said, bringing it to Sam. "You never know what you'll need to carry!"  
  
Sam reached out to take the bag. “Really?” he said, unable to believe his luck. And Oscar’s generosity, for that matter. Here was a kid who’d grown up with less than Sam or Dean, and he was offering it freely to them. Sam held the bag close, examining the fabric. It was plenty big for his size. He slung it over his shoulder experimentally to see how it would feel to carry. It fit over one shoulder and Sam absently touched at the flap that would cover up his supplies and whatever else he could find to fit inside. “This is great! I always thought I’d end up with something from a dollhouse if I needed a bag…” He wrinkled his nose at the thought.  
  
Oscar snickered and went back to his own bag to finish unloading its contents into his pantry. "That wouldn't work well at all." The cloth in the bag he used and the one he just gave Sam was not as thin as their clothes, but it was more pliant than the thick, cumbersome canvas Oscar had seen used for toys. Not to mention the buttons to clasp their bags shut were much more useful than cheap velcro.  
  
"Doll things are real hard to find," he mused, closing up the pantry's shabby curtain and putting his bag back over his shoulder. It was surprisingly light after carrying it around full all day. "Humans that have 'em don't drop any of 'em very much. But I think one of my blankets is actually for a toy."  
  
“Yeah, kids don’t leave toys behind.” Sam glanced around the room, noticing the other doors that must lead to the bedrooms. All the stuff around them that was small enough to get mistaken for ‘toy-sized.’ “Unless they get bored with them, that is.” He shifted on his seat so he could see around the chair. His bag he held protectively against his chest, still absently clutching the strap.  
  
“With my luck,” Sam said thoughtfully, “if I ask Dean to get me anything from a doll set, he’s gonna come home with the frilliest set he can find. All pink and flowers. He gets a kick out of jokes like that. I’d never hear the end of it.”  
  
Oscar smiled faintly, though he couldn't help but think of the one doll item he owned. The blanket he'd mentioned was layered somewhere between various other swatches of fabric, but it maintained its faded pink hue. It was too scratchy for him to use directly, but as insulation it was one of his better blankets. He'd probably not care if someone brought him more pink, if it meant things could be warmer in his house.  
  
"Well now you don't havta worry about him giving you a frilly bag, at least," he said brightly. Indeed, the bag was as nondescript as it could be, since it needed to blend in as much as its wearer would under normal circumstances. Staying hidden might not be quite as high on Sam's list as on Oscar's, but at least his bag wouldn't give him away if it came to it.  
  
Sam brushed his hand over the bag in question. “Definitely.” The only thing worse than the threat of all pink dollhouse furniture would be the danger of waking up in a _dress_ if Dean ever got the idea in his mind. He’d already proven himself capable of moving Sam in his sleep without waking him, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine he could slip Sam into a dress at the same time.  
  
He fervently hoped the idea never occurred to his older brother.  
  
“So how long have you been alone?” Sam asked, full of innocent curiosity as he took in the small, peaceful dwelling. “We lost our mom when I wasn’t even a year old. I don’t even remember her aside from the pictures Dean has.”  
  
Oscar flinched slightly, caught off guard. He tried to keep the smile on his face. He really tried. He was doing a lot better now than he'd done for a long time, and he didn't feel like he should be sad. The answer to Sam's question was a simple one. Long enough that he knew for sure that his mother wasn't coming back.  
  
Instead, he swallowed the lump that tried to form in his throat at the thought. "I dunno exactly," he admitted. "Around a year, I think, but we don't have a calendar, so..." His voice trailed off and his shrugged. Oscar absently chewed his bottom lip and his hands clasped in front of himself of their own accord.  
  
"I don't ... I don't really remember _everything_ about my mom, but I remember most." Oscar couldn't quite recall what she'd smelled like anymore, or what her hair felt like when he ran his fingertips across it like a curtain. But he still remembered her face and the way it felt to have her arms around him. He remembered her voice.  
  
 _I'll be back soon._  
  
Oscar realized there were tears forming in his eyes and he tried to hastily wipe them away, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. More came to replace them and he sighed. "I miss her a lot and it's really hard to do this by myself sometimes but I'm getting better at it. She'd ... she'd _probably_ be proud of me. At least I think so."  
  
“Of course she’d be proud of you,” Sam said softly. He thought about his mom every day, and even dreamed about her from time to time. He’d never know what she looked like in person or what it felt like to get a hug from her, but it felt like she was watching over him. “You made it all on your own and you didn’t even have someone to watch out for you.”  
  
His own eyes were reflective. “It couldn’t have been easy getting by without someone there to watch your back. Dean told me that he almost didn’t _see_ me after I got cursed… if he hadn’t, he would have been pulled out of that room and I’d be all on my own. I don’t think I’d be able to do what you did, surviving. The witch would have caught me, or I’d get _stepped_ on… I don’t even know how to _hide_ like you do.”  
  
He put a hand on Oscar’s knee, offering him support. “I’ve got Dean watching out for me, and now… you’ve got both of us to count on. Whatever comes. All you gotta do is ask.”  
  
Oscar brushed away the last of his tears, feeling the brief spell of melancholy dissipating with Sam's words, both the encouraging and the frightful musing on what he might have done without Dean. That human really was incredible. Without him, Sam could be lost and alone somewhere right now, if he was even alive. And Oscar would probably be curled up in his bed feeling miserable and hungry again.  
  
"Th-thanks," he stammered out, his voice still tight from the recent swell of emotions that had come at him from nowhere. "I-it means a whole lot. I'm gonna do my best to teach you, Sam. So then you _do_ know how to hide. Just i-in case you ever need to."  
  
“And if there’s anything you want us to show you, or teach you, just let me know,” Sam said in return, making his own offer. “We’ll make sure to watch after you since she can’t. That way we’re both ready when we grow up.” He stared up at the crack that was letting light into the room. “It’ll be good to know how to hide. That way I’m not stuck out in the open like when I got stranded on a desk.”  
  
Sam shuddered. He might never get over how _exposed_ he’d felt, alone in that room with Dean not even in the house. “I was terrified of _Dean_ when I first woke up,” he confided in the other kid. It was the first time he’d let anyone know that. Dean had most likely figured it out from Sam’s first reaction after waking, but they both ignored it as much as they could. “I was knocked out for a _week_ after being cursed and he stayed by my side the entire time. When I woke up, he was sleeping at our friend Bobby’s house. It was dark, nothing was familiar, even his _voice_ was deeper… it didn’t used to _rumble_ before I got cursed. Then he turned on the light and he was _so big…_ He’d put me on his chest so he could watch out for me at night. I…” Sam’s lip trembled. “I tried to run away from my big brother,” he said with tears of his own trying to escape.  
  
Oscar listened in silence while Sam talked, but he chewed his lip nervously. He could relate to all of the things Sam talked about, just by pure instinct. The fears, fear of the loud voices of humans, of the lights coming on, of how big everything was ... those had all come gradually for Oscar. He grew up knowing those fears were what kept small folk like him alive year after year.  
  
But _Sam_ didn't have the benefit of someone telling him over and over that the humans were scary before he ever encountered one. Sam woke up and suddenly everything was different. Big, loud, bright, and scary. The world shook with the humans' movements, and Sam had a crash course in it.  
  
Without even realizing it, Oscar slipped forward off his spool and knelt next to the ringbox-turned-chair so he could wrap his thin arms around Sam in a hug. The two of them had gone through some very different things, facing the big world with the changes thrust upon them unasked. Oscar, alone long before he ever should have been, and Sam, small when he should be nearing five feet tall.  
  
Oscar was blinking fast. "I-it's okay, though," he muttered. "You didn't know what was going on a-and that's not your fault. Th-the world is really _big_ and confusing and scary sometimes and that's not our fault at all."  
  
Sam was caught off guard by the hug. While he was by no means a stranger to hugs it wasn’t something he’d often got from his family. Usually he was the one to initiate a hug with his older brother, and something about the way John acted just rebuffed the idea from the start.  
  
Then the dam broke and he found himself clutching at Oscar just as tight with tears pouring down his cheeks. “I j-just w-wish I wasn’t _afraid_ of my own family,” he said, sobbing into the other kid’s shoulder. “Dean just wants to help and I stick really close to him because it’s _scary_ if he doesn’t know where I am and I really really hate that I just want things to go back to normal.”  
  
With all that out, he took a shuddering breath, hiccuping from the unexpected onslaught. The tears wouldn’t stop coming, and he buried his head into Oscar to try and escape the emotions. “I just wish I could tell Dean how I feel sometimes but I’m afraid it’ll hurt him,” he mumbled with his eyes closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These kids both have a lot going on in their lives and they need all the support they can get! Send them hugs!
> 
> Remember, comments and kudos are love!
> 
> Next: February 10th


	26. It's Okay

Oscar wasn't sure if it was empathy or the simple reminder of what he'd gone through, but his own tears came back while Sam cried. His were silent, because he was used to being silent in everything he did. It was ingrained into him. Silent steps, silent work, silent crying on the nights when he was so hungry he couldn't think of anything but the emptiness in his core.   
  
Even now, when he had someone he could tell all about what scared him about living this way, no words could come out. It was the opposite of when he'd first encountered Sam. So terrified of the giant hands clamped around him, Oscar's usual quiet resolve was shattered completely then, but now their roles had switched. He wished he knew what to say to make Sam feel better, but even Oscar knew that was wishful thinking.  
  
There _wasn't_ a magic word for this one. Just like there was no magic word to make him feel better about the fact that his mother had left the small house around a year ago to get food and had never come back. Oscar would never know what happened to her, and when he next took a breath, it was shaky from the thought.  
  
"M-maybe i-if you tell him, you won't feel a-as scared after," Oscar stammered out. It was a long shot, certainly, but he knew that the alternative meant a feeling like waiting at the very edge of something. Like standing just outside the light that made it into the vents, but unable to get any closer to the opening.  
  
"I-I really wish," he continued, his voice cracking right in the middle of it. He took a short breath and started over. "I r-really wish I told mom the night she w-went out that I was cold," he said. "I-I didn' tell her and now I can't."  
  
It was such a _simple_ thing that he never got to tell his mom. He didn't want to bother her with it. But sometimes Oscar would think, while he shivered under the covers, what if he had told her? What if she had decided to stay with him to hold him and keep him warm and gone out the next night instead? Even if she still disappeared, he could have had one more day.  
  
Sam hiccuped again as his tears started to slow down. His breathing remained shaky as he tried to draw in a deep breath and calm down from the overload. Oscar’s words got through to him even with all the emotions swirling around the pair. He tried to imagine telling Dean that he still got scared of the older boy. That he was afraid of being left in a giant room on his own.  
  
“I’ll… I’ll try…” Sam promised hesitantly. He knew Oscar was right. If Dean didn’t know he was afraid, how could he help Sam? Dean would do anything for him… if he knew about it. Sam needed to be the one to let him know. It was impossible for him to understand if he wasn’t _told._ He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears that were filling them to fall down his cheeks.  
  
“You didn’t know,” Sam managed to say to Oscar. “You didn’t know and you _couldn’t_ know and it’s not your fault that she’s gone now. Just make sure that you live your life and she’ll be proud of you, no matter what happened to her. I bet she’d be thrilled to know you made it after she left. Just like mom would be proud of me and Dean even all these years later. She wouldn’t want us to be sad all the time.”  
  
"Yeah," Oscar answered softly, barely more than a breath. He sighed, a slow, measured breath that carried some of the emotions out of him. He finally relinquished Sam from his hug with a sheepish smile and a breezy chuckle that became a hiccup and a sniffle. Now that they'd gotten so much off their chests, he felt a nice calm washing over him. It was nice to be able to tell someone the thing that had bothered him since he'd first realized he was truly alone.  
  
He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, brushing away the tears with determination not to let them come flowing again. A thought came to him and Oscar stood, going to the side of the room where a narrow counter stood, with a few cubby shelves worked right into the wall above it. Oscar hoisted himself up onto the counter to retrieve something from the shelves, hopping down and bustling back over to the door. Near it was the lid of the pill bottle that supported his table, and Oscar dipped the silvery cup he'd retrieved from the shelf in it, filling it with water.  
  
He brought the foil cup back over to Sam and placed it in his hands with a shaky smile. "Here. A-and you can keep the cup too, if you want it."  
  
Sam held the metal cup in one hand and scrubbed at his eyes with his other sleeve, trying to banish the last of the tears that clung to him. His cheeks cracked a little when he offered the other kid his own hesitant smile from the dried tears that were still there. “T-thanks,” he managed to say, taking a deep gulp of the soothing liquid right away. He was too concerned with that to even remember that it was his first time drinking out of an actual _cup_ in over a month now.  
  
With some of the pain of crying washed away, Sam dipped his fingers into the tinfoil cup to wet them and tried his best to clear off the rest of his face. He sniffled as he worked, trying to keep himself together. It _did_ feel good to get some of that out into the air. The emotions had been building up inside his chest ever since being cursed.  
  
“Guess I’ve been holding that in for a while,” Sam said with an uncertain laugh. His family wasn’t big on showing emotions like they’d just done. If he or Dean ever did anything like that it would just result in condemnation from their father. That silent stare, like he was disappointed in them for having actual emotions showing… Dean got it a lot worse than Sam did if he let any ‘weakness’ out. But Sam could still _feel_ the disappointment, even if it wasn’t as prominent as it was for the older son.  
  
Oscar returned the smile. "Me too," he answered softly. He certainly hadn't expected such a strong show of emotions out of them just during a simple visit to his home. But, he supposed, if Sam had been holding that in for so long precisely _because_ he was always close to Dean, the opportunity had all but jumped in his face. Dean couldn't hear them here, even if he had his ear to the wall right now.  
  
Even though the topics were sad, Oscar felt a lot better to finally be able to tell someone how he felt about his mother's disappearance. He had thought he might carry that unsaid worry with him until he grew up. There was a palpable sense of relief in the air and he sighed.  
  
"I-I guess maybe we should head back now," he determined, glancing around his home with a new lens, a mindset slightly less burdened now that he'd spoken his mind. The house was still so empty, and that was sad, but at least the feeling wasn't quite so oppressive. The big world got a little smaller again, easier to face, knowing he had someone to confide in. "Dean might wonder what's takin' so long."  
  
Sam’s smile turned genuine at that. “I wonder if he’d ever try to follow us if he decides I’m taking too long,” he joked, remembering how overprotective Dean could get. If it ever got to be too much, he’d always have to tell his older brother off, especially since at _this_ size, a hovering big brother could get to be a little much. “I’m sure he’d find a way to squish his shoulders enough to fit if he had to. He’s pretty determined when he has to be.”   
  
The thought of Dean getting himself stuck in the vents suddenly seemed hilarious to Sam and he couldn’t stop the laughter from coming, a slightly hysterical tinge to it after all of the emotions he’d bared wide open moments before.  
  
Oscar's eyes widened and he tried to imagine Dean getting himself into the vents. To him, the idea was more nightmarish, considering a human breaking into his safe passages was very dangerous indeed. But, with Sam's laughter in the air, his mind couldn't help but catch up to how silly the human would look if he managed such a thing.  
  
Fear dropped away, and Oscar's own laughter bubbled up to replace it. It was contagious, and just as the pair had cried together moments before, now they laughed together too. Oscar had to wipe one more tear from his eye, but this time it wasn't a sad one.  
  
"O-oh, that'd be very silly," he said, once it died down enough for him to speak. "We'd have to use a different door to get into the room if he got stuck like that!"  
  
“And then,” Sam said, trying to stop laughing but only ending up snorting, “we’d have to find a way to get him _un_ -stuck. He’d never stop moaning about how unfair we were being because we fit!”  
  
More giggles filtered out of Oscar, but he kept himself in check the best he could. He hadn't known the brothers for very long, but hearing Sam talk he could envision the larger teen griping at them from his stuck position in the vent. How they'd get him out was far beyond the tiny kid's imagination, though. Hopefully Dean didn't get the idea to try it.  
  
Sam’s laughs started to die down and he managed to catch enough of a breath to down the rest of his cup of water. He shook his head. “At least we’re around to keep an eye on him,” Sam said. He tucked his new aluminum foil cup into his new bag, the first item he had to put away. “Otherwise I’m sure he’d get into even _more_ trouble.”  
  
Sam stood and stretched out his arms. “I think I’m ready.”  
  
"Okay," Oscar replied with a nod. He padded over to the pantry, pulling the curtain more securely over the motherlode of food contained in it just in case, and then wandered back to the door. He was glad that Sam seemed to have liked his house, aside from the unexpected spill of emotions they'd experienced.  
  
"It should be easier to get back now that your hands aren't full," he mused conversationally while he pushed his door aside to lead the way back into the dark. The light from the crack in the wall was waning, anyway, so getting back to the room would be a good idea before it got too dim for Sam to see even in the house.  
  
Sam shifted his new bag as he made his way over to Oscar. His hand tightened instinctively on the strap, getting used to the feel of actually having a bag of his own again. Something made for his own size after a month without.  
  
He peered into the darkness beyond the makeshift doorway. “I’m surprised you can see out there at all,” he told the other kid. “I mean, it’s pitch black! If you weren’t around I’d probably run into every wall out there and I’d never find this place on my own.”  
  
Oscar perked up a little from the compliment in Sam's words, and he felt a little proud of himself for it. Even though it was a skill that he thought everyone their size had, he was proud all the same. Sam was brave and he knew a lot about human stuff, but he was still impressed by the things Oscar did in his far less interesting day to day life.  
  
"I-I'm used to it," he explained, peering out into the dark. He couldn't see _perfectly,_ by any means, but he could see well enough that he wouldn't have trouble navigating in the low lighting. He'd grown up with it, and it was most of what he knew. "I can't go very far by myself, but I can see to get to the places I know."  
  
That included only a handful of rooms. Oscar knew that one day, he'd have to expand his escapades out a little further if he was to keep up with the demand for food and the guests in the motel. He would eventually have his end of the motel completely mapped out in his head.  
  
“Maybe I’ll be able to see like that when I’m older,” Sam said, his voice hushed again as they started on their way back. His hand hesitantly found Oscar’s arm again before the darkness overcame them, letting the younger boy be his anchor. If he got lost in here, he’d _stay_ lost.  
  
Out of Dean, or John’s, reach.  
  
He didn’t let go as they went, trying to place his footing carefully so he didn’t trip. He wondered if Oscar’s nightvision came from living like this his entire life or if it was something more. Maybe an adaptation had evolved for the smaller people that lived in the walls that gave them the ability. If it was that, Sam might not have much of a chance of his sight improving. If it was the former, maybe he _would_ get better at seeing in the dark and surprise everyone.  
  
"I bet you will," Oscar muttered after some careful thought. After all, he had grown up in the dark. It only made sense that he'd gotten more used to it than Sam ever needed to. Sam had grown up where electric lights were available all around him, and he could safely venture outside without worrying about birds and cats and the other big animals Oscar's mother had warned him about.  
  
He shifted his arm in Sam's grasp as they approached the loose metal panel in the air conditioning. He took the other kid's hand to make sure he could guide him true while he pushed the panel aside again with the other. "Back to the vent," he muttered for Sam's benefit, leading them through the opening. After he nudged it closed one more time, it was easier to see the way they needed to go.  
  
Light was still spilling into the metal corridor from Sam and Dean's motel room, a short walk ahead of them.  
  
Sam let go of Oscar’s arm when he saw the light ahead and dashed away. It was fun exploring with Oscar, but he didn’t like being far off from Dean anymore than his brother liked him going off. All it took was the sight of one normal sized object, like the spool Oscar had been sitting on in his  home, to remind Sam of his vulnerable size.  
  
Being with Dean felt _safe_.  
  
Sam managed to squish himself through the vent again without a problem, though his new bag got caught on an edge briefly. He tugged it free with an annoyed grunt.  
  
By the time he managed to get the bag free and drop out of the vent, he realized there was a shadow being cast over the vent itself.  
  
Dean.  
  
The teen was sitting there with the notebook he used for school and a pencil in hand. Actually _doing homework,_ a complete shock for Sam considering he hadn’t been around to prod Dean into it.  
  
That was all the time he had to take things in. Without warning Dean dropped his pencil. “Sammy!” A hand reached for him, protectively curling around his small form to make sure he’d come back in one piece. He was swiftly lifted up in the air before he could see if Oscar had made it through. Green eyes bigger than his head squinted at him. “You alright?”  
  
Sam scrubbed at his face, realizing his nose was still bright pink from the tears he’d shed at Oscar’s place. While he was distracted, Dean got the other kid in hand after he made it through the vent.  
  
“Man, I leave you guys alone for a minute and you fall apart,” came a light tease as Dean held his hands close together. “C’mon, kid. What happened?”  
  
Despite the teasing, Sam could tell his brother was really worried about them. Then it was all over. His eyes brimmed with tears as he remembered everything he’d just admitted to Oscar that very hour. His barriers were shattered after letting his emotions out so freely while they were away and he didn’t have a chance of holding in the tears.  
  
It was a good thing Dean was holding them close to his chest because Sam tossed himself against it in an attempt to hug his older brother. He let out a sob, his chest shuddering as he tried to stretch his arms out to hug his older brother. “D-don’t ever change…” was all he managed to get out.  
  
Oscar got over his disorientation from leaving the floor behind so quickly much faster than he'd done before. He was actually getting used to being picked up by a human. Or at least by Dean. The younger human was careful not to squeeze Oscar or lift him up too fast, he'd noticed. It made it easier to get used to the thought of soaring up into the air.  
  
He fidgeted where he sat, watching Sam hug his extra big brother and absently wringing his hands. He had a strong temptation of his own to let more tears out, but they didn't come so quickly. He chewed his lip thoughtfully before tilting his head back to see Dean's surprised and concerned face looking down at them.  
  
"W-we ended up talkin' about some sad stuff," Oscar explained, hoping to clear up some of the human's confusion. That was what did Oscar in. Admitting that he had indeed cried made him blink a little faster as his eyes, still stinging from the last session, summoned up more tears and tried to spill them over.  
  
"S-sorry if we were gone too long," he added, looking back down in time for a couple silent tears to escape.  
  
That was the _last_ thing on Dean’s mind. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, his voice hushed softer than ever with Sam almost right below his voicebox. He cupped the hand with Oscar in it next to Sam, giving them both a supportive hug to help ease their tears. Explanations could wait.   
  
“It’s okay, guys. I’ve gotcha.” As carefully as he could, Dean moved a finger up and down their backs, trying to calm down the two small children sobbing into his shirt. The feeling of tiny ridges made it through his touch against Oscar’s back; the small kid was so thin that his spine was more exposed than anyone else they’d known. Dean’s lips turned down with worry. Such a small kid all on his own… more than anything he wanted to be able to make sure that Oscar was safe, just like Sam was.  
  
Later that night, Sam would tell his big brother the truth. That no matter how ‘adjusted,’ or ‘used’ to his size he was, he still got afraid of things from time to time.   
  
Even Dean.  
  
Dean would give Sam the promise that no matter _what_ happened, he’d always listen to Sam when he was afraid. He traded it for a promise from Sam; the promise to _tell_ him if he was afraid, no matter how silly it seemed. No matter if it was John or Bobby or Dean himself that he was afraid of.  
  
That night would also be the first time that Sam slept in Dean’s chest pocket. The pocket of the jean jacket that Dean had stuffed in a corner of his duffel bag proved to be perfect for it. Sam snuggled down, relaxing in the comfortable spot right above Dean’s heart. He was asleep in moments while Dean tried to stay up to watch over him and make sure he didn’t roll over, only nodding off hours later when exhaustion caught up from all the emotions they’d gone through in such a short period.  
  
For now, Dean settled back against the wall of the room to search for a comfortable position. The two children he held cupped right below his neck. Like that, he could offer them comfort and safety in his own way while they sobbed out the stress and fear that had built up over time.   
  
Instead of expressing himself in words, Dean let himself start to hum. He didn’t know any songs past the rock their dad put on the radio in the car, so the sound of _Smoke on the Water_ echoed up out of his chest. Quiet enough to not hurt small eardrums but enough that the song was recognizable.   
  
His own words echoed in his ears as Sam and Oscar continued to sob, letting out their fears. _I’ve gotcha._  
  
 _You’re safe here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, have no fear! This isn't the end of the story for the kids! The conclusion will come after the prompts we have lined up for it! Remember if you have any ideas, drop it in the askbox on tumblr! The ideas that inspire us will be written out and included in the story!
> 
> ( All prompts will be uploaded into the Salt Lines story so the conclusion isn't out of order when it is uploaded )
> 
> And, of course, when we run out of prompts, the conclusion to Hershey Kisses and Salt Lines will arrive!
> 
> For anyone that missed it, I am holding a contest for Brothers Apart and its subsequent AU's, like Brothers Together. All information can be found: http://brothersapart.tumblr.com/search/brothers+apart+contest+2016
> 
> Next: Measuring Up, coming February 15th


	27. Measuring Up

Oscar was getting more and more accustomed to paying attention to the angle of the light that made it into his small home. It wasn't always foolproof, but it gave him a halfway decent idea of when the afternoon was well underway. He could say for certain that noon had passed if the light was reaching the top of his little door.  
  
He got a lot of weaving done during the day. Having more energy than he was used to helped a lot with getting the chores done. He almost had enough material to make himself a shirt.  
  
But, when he thought it might be time to go see if his friends were back from school, Oscar abandoned the task in a heartbeat, hopping up from his seat on the ring box. He grabbed up his bag and was halfway out the door before he even had it secured over his shoulder.  
  
The path to their motel room was ingrained in his head. After a few days spending time with Sam and Dean, Oscar had a spring in his steps as he traversed the dark pathways. Before he knew it, he'd slipped into the vents and jogged over to the opening into the room he'd come to be very familiar with. It was the place his only friends in the world lived, after all.  
  
He hopped over the salt line, remembering it was there by now. He could see Dean seated at the table, and could only assume Sam was up there, too. It was hard to see what they were doing, but Oscar made his way curiously towards the looming furniture (and its human occupant).  
  
"Hi!" he called up when he was closer, his small voice piping up as loud as he could to let Dean know he'd come into the room.  
  
“Hey, Oz!” Dean called back, as predictable as ever with his nickname of the other kid. He squinted down at what he was _trying_ to do, growing exasperated with Sam’s constant squirms.  
  
“Y’know, we’d _already_ be finished if you’d just _sit still,_ ” Dean griped at his younger brother, nudging him back with a finger. His other hand held a tape measure over Sam’s head, trying to see how much he’d grown since the last time they’d measured him a few weeks back.  
  
Sam batted at his finger. “Nuh-uh!” he protested. “Besides, what’s the _point?_ I’m not gonna grow as tall as you _anyway,_ why’s it matter if I grew a little bit?”  
  
Dean threw him a look of annoyance. “The _point_ is we need to make sure the curse didn’t stop you from growing at all!” he bit back, then caught himself, remembering they had a visitor. He nudged Sam one last time for good measure. “Don’t go anywhere, pipsqueak.”  
  
With that, Dean peered down at the floor, spotting the small child that was out in the open just to see them. He gave Oscar a huge grin. “Want a ride?” he offered easily. “You don’t want to miss the show up here.” Dean didn’t pay any mind to the annoyed glare thrown his way by Sam at that statement.  
  
"Okay," Oscar answered easily. He covered the last few feet of distance to stand near enough to Dean's chair for the older kid to be able to reach him. He'd learned the distance already, having visited so many times. Oscar didn't even mind so much anymore, accepting a helping hand from Dean.  
  
One hand idly grasped the strap of his cloth bag as a hand big enough to be a bed eclipsed sight of Dean's face for a moment. In no time, Oscar was gathered up in that hand and lifted carefully to the tabletop, where he squirmed a little to hop down to the surface.  
  
A very odd sight greeted him, and he glanced between the two brothers, Dean in his chair looking over them and Sam near the tape measure that Dean held. "What's the show?" he asked curiously.  
  
“Oh, just seeing if _this one_ ,” Dean poked Sam back into place as he got his hand back, “has grown at all since he got cursed. We need to make sure she didn't screw anything _else_ up on us.”  
  
“This is _stupid,_ ” Sam protested, his ears aflame now that he was the center of attention for the entire group. “You might not even be able to tell if I grew at all! You're too _big_.” He stubbornly crossed his arms and refused to budge.  
  
Dean snorted. With one arm he corralled Sam in so he couldn't try and escape again. That was the arm that held the tape measure up. His other hand, now that Sam was standing still, planted a finger lightly against the crossed arms. Sam ended up being forced backwards towards the tape measure until his back was directly against the yellow strip.  
  
“We'll be fair,” Dean muttered as he leaned in. In order to see, he had to place his chin against the table, squinting to see the smallest lines on the tape measure. “I'll take a turn being measured after we're done here.”  
  
Oscar edged forward, watching the display of stubbornness between Sam and Dean. He made sure to stay out of the way of Dean's hands as he worked to corral Sam near the measuring tape and hold him still up against it. Oscar didn't even glance over at Dean's face, though it rested right on the table nearby, as close to their level as the human teen could manage. He was too curious about the measuring.  
  
"I-I measured myself once," he chimed in, his eyes wide as he looked over the tape measure that Dean held up. It seemed like it would be so heavy for him or Sam, but of course it was easy for Dean. Oscar wasn't sure why they'd bother measuring Dean, considering he was clearly far taller than anyone else in the room, and he didn't need to know the specifics. He was just _tall._  
  
“I _think_ I'm almost ... two and four tenth inches! Not quite but I might be able to grow a little more, soon."  
  
“Guess we'll have to give you a turn after Sammy,” Dean said absently as he peered at the lines on the yellow strip. “I can even tell ya how tall you’d be if you were a human.” He took his finger away from Sam’s chest, freeing the smaller boy to move again as he sat back up.  
  
“Two point six five inches…” Dean mumbled to himself, snatching up the pad of paper he had sitting to the side. He worked through a few numbers on the page. One of the first things he’d done after the terror of discovering Sam’s curse had worn out was figure out exactly how small he was and his new scale. That way, no matter how _long_ Sam was downsized… and Dean fervently hoped that it was only temporary… they’d know how tall he was compared to his family.  
  
Dean held the page up triumphantly. “You’d be four foot tall and three inches, Sammy! You haven’t stopped growing!” He gave his brother a grin. It was one of the fears he’d overheard from his dad and Bobby when they were talking right after the curse. The chance that Sam wasn’t only stuck small, he was also not going to grow at all. But now he knew that wasn’t the case. “That means you grew almost a whole inch since the last time we measured you! You hit a growth spurt.”  
  
Oscar's eyes were wide and he drifted forward to Sam. The other kid was still a decent amount taller than him, but Oscar tried to imagine him at over four feet tall. He'd be smaller than Dean, sure, but to _Oscar..._ "That sounds pretty tall," he determined. Even Oscar probably wouldn't make four feet if he were human.   
  
_If he were human._   
  
That was one of the weirdest thoughts that had never wandered across his mind.  
  
But he was curious now. "You ... you can really see how tall I _could_ be?" he asked, amazed. He almost wished he knew more about numbers, but Oscar only had the basics on that front, because they were all he'd ever needed and all he'd had time to learn. He took a few shuffling steps closer to the tape measure before looking up at Dean. "I could try too? It's _hard_ to measure myself."  
  
Dean bobbed his head with a slight incline of his shoulder, knowing that no matter how small the gestures he made, they would be easily visible to the kids that fit into his hands. In fact, the less he moved around, the easier it was to keep them both comfortable around him. "Sure. If you _don't squirm,_ " he shot a look at Sam who was trying to play it off like he'd never argued against being measured, "It only takes a minute. Sam just likes to extend the entire process for everyone. He can't sit still to save his life."  
  
Dean held up the measuring tape so the end just barely brushed against the top of the table, ignoring the tongue that Sam stuck out at him. "Just stand with your back to this and we can see how big you've got since the last time you measured yourself."  
  
Oscar grinned. "Okay!" he replied, before bounding over to the tape measure. He paused to stare curiously up at Dean's hand hovering overhead, grasping the bulk of the tape measure. It swayed just a little, but not enough that Oscar had trouble lining himself up with the slightly curved yellow tape. He shifted his bag on his shoulder so it wouldn't bump into it, and stood with his back to the thing.  
  
He was excited to find out how he measured up. He'd never had a way to measure himself this accurately before. His usual method required string and a lot of trial and error. Oscar kept himself from bouncing a little and waited patiently for the verdict.  
  
With Oscar going along with Dean for the measuring, it took much less time than it had with Sam. He didn’t have to nudge the kid against the measuring tape at all and Oscar even straightened up for him when he leaned in. Dean held his breath as he put his chin on the table, trying to keep the discomfort to a minimum for their naturally-tiny buddy.  
  
Dean read out loud from the measuring tape as he focused in on the tiniest of increments. “Two point two inches…” he said, trailing off as he scribbled it down on the paper he had to the side with the conversion he’d worked out when Sam had first been cursed. At the time it was more of a curiosity for him, now it was a good thing he’d done it. It gave him a way to know how tall they both would be if they were normal. “That makes you… a little over three and a half feet tall if you were human.”  
  
Oscar's expression morphed into one of shock while Dean worked out the numbers. He turned to stare at the tape measure, more than a little dumbfounded. He felt his face and ears heating up as he blushed fire. Three and a half feet was tall compared to him right now, and though it might be a dizzying height to someone his current stature, he knew it wasn't much compared to other humans.  
  
The fact that he would still be short wasn't what colored his face so pink, though. "O-only two point two inches?" he repeated. He glanced over at the notepad that Dean scribbled on. He'd been so sure he was getting close to two point four!  
  
"Ohhh, I measured wrong!" he blurted, sounding thoroughly flustered and embarrassed. Soon enough he covered his face with his hands to try to hide the profuse blushing there. He was even smaller than he thought _and_ he went and made himself look like a fool.  
  
Dean gave Oscar a light nudge in the side when he lowered down the measuring tape. “Nah,” he said dismissively. “It’s not like you had a ruler like we did. How old are ya, anyway? I betcha have a growth spurt coming, you just haven’t gotten there yet. Sam’s only just started really growing… he’s been a shrimp for years.” There was no way for him to avoid smirking at the annoyed glare this got out of Sam instantly. He’d _always_ been small for his age. The curse had just made him… smaller.  
  
Oscar peeked over his hands, peering at the brothers with slightly wide eyes but still hiding his reddened cheeks for a few extra seconds. The embarrassment started to melt away as no teasing came his way for the mistake, and his shoulders relaxed. With a sigh, he finally let his hands fall to his sides again so he could answer.  
  
"I'm eight," he told them, and his voice had a mix of shyness and hopefulness all in one. He wasn't sure about how growth spurts worked, but he really hoped Dean was right. Someday he wanted to be taller, at least all enough that he could reach the high shelves in his home. "You think I'll get taller soon?"  
  
“You’re a little young,” Dean said. Ever since he could remember, he’d been the one that had raised Sam. Been _there_ for Sam. With that came knowledge he’d picked up over the years of taking care of his little brother. “You should get a growth spurt in a few years. Maybe… eleven or twelve. Then, you might catch up to me!”  
  
He gathered up the measuring tape. “Now, it’s my turn.” He’d promised Sam, so he’d have to see how tall he was. It wouldn’t be as easy or as accurate, not without having someone else around to help, but he’d manage.  
  
Dean stepped away from the table and let the six-foot tape unravel. He had to face it to even have a chance of knowing how tall he was. He sent a grin down to the other two and held it up. While measuring himself there was no point in trying to read it at the same time as he worked so he hovered a hand out straight. “That level?” he called out to Sam, letting his little brother help out like always.  
  
“You’re good!” Sam said with a laugh.  
  
Dean pinched the tape between two fingers and made his way back over to the table and his scrap paper for his conversions. “Let’s see… I made it to five foot six.” He gave Sam and Oscar a wink. “That’s an inch taller than last time. And…” He did his calculation quick. “I’m a little over three point four inches tall if I got hit by the curse with ya, kiddo.”  
  
Oscar's mouth formed an 'O' of amazement as he pictured it. Almost three and a half inches high ... Dean was tall! Oscar began to wonder if he'd be able to hope to get that tall by the time he was grown up. Dean would end up enormous by the time his fast growth was finished. "A whole inch?" he echoed, sounding thoroughly awed. It was nearly half his height, after all. Dean would probably grow even more before he and Sam had to leave at the end of their stay. Oscar had only grown an eighth of an inch that he could tell ... and he might even be wrong about that, considering he'd been off with his measurement anyway.  
  
Oscar stretched his hands over his head, trying to mimic a height of 3.4 inches. "That'd be real tall," he said, leaving out the fact that Dean was _already_ real tall compared to him. "If I was that tall I might be able to reach the top of the pantry." The thought made him grin.  
  
“Sam could always help with that,” Dean said with a laugh. “He should be sprouting up anytime now.” Inwardly, even though he was joking with the kids, he was trying to figure out what they’d _do_ when Sam actually started to grow. He’d need new clothes soon… not to mention a new set of boots. The only thing he’d really been able to think of would be doll clothes, but they wouldn’t be _made_ for Sam’s size. Maybe he could give someone Sam’s sizes… just not tell them it was for a living, breathing person. _Specialty doll._ His fingers drummed absently on the table while he thought about it.  
  
Sam didn’t notice the slight shaking under the table while Dean was lost in thought. He puffed out his chest. “ _I’m_ gonna be taller than my dad _and_ Dean,” he bragged brashly to Oscar. “I’m gonna be over six feet when I’m done!” He tried to jump in the air to show how tall he’d be, but slipped and fell on his butt.  
  
Oscar let out a quiet "Oops," when Sam fell over, his hands twitching towards him. He dashed over to help Sam back up, offering a hand. While he did he thought about the height Sam aimed to be. He had to wonder if he'd be scared of his first friend if he saw him at that height.  
  
"Six feet is a-awful big," he mused, his eyes a little wide. For someone barely more than two inches tall, a human that big was an intimidating figure indeed. Oscar wasn't sure if he'd seen a human that tall before, because he usually avoided being anywhere near them long enough to judge, but he was willing to bet someone so big could reach the _ceiling._ "I think I'd get dizzy up that high."  
  
“Well, when I get to be six feet tall, you can stand on my head and we’ll see,” Dean said brashly, convinced he’d be at least as tall as his dad, if not taller. “That way _you’ll_ get to be the tallest, no matter what. You and Sam both.”  
  
Sam bounced to his feet with Oscar’s help. “And when I’m back to normal sized, you can stand on my head, too! You’ll be taller than both of us then because _I’m_ gonna be the tallest!”  
  
Oscar's eyes widened. He thought back to that first time Dean had plucked him up with just two fingers and set the squirming smaller kid atop his head. Oscar had needed to cling to Dean's hair for dear life and he was just sitting then. He couldn't even fathom being up there while Dean was over six feet tall and standing. His shock seemed stuck on his face.  
  
"I-I'll have to hold on real tight, then," he decided. A smile worked its way onto his face the more he thought about it. Oscar was growing up slowly, and he'd probably always be short. Even for one of the smaller people. But, his friends were going to let him be the _tallest_ one day.   
  
It was something to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The short stories have begun! Sam and Dean are curious to see if Sam has grown since his curse, and Oscar visits them and gets included in the fun.
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox.
> 
> Next: A Day at the Park 1, coming February 17th


	28. A Day at the Park 1

It took convincing, but Sam managed it at last.  
  
With a giggle, he squirmed his way into the vents at the motel. Dean was left sitting out on his own, forced to wait for his younger brother to come back. He hadn’t wanted to let him go, but since he couldn’t exactly _fit_ himself, he didn’t get much of a choice.  
  
Sam ran the first part of the distance, his new cloth bag, loaded up with his pin, climbing thread and aluminum foil cup, thumping against his side. He was excited to find Oscar and tell him the good news. They’d forgotten, the night before, to let him know that the next day was _Saturday,_ and so they had the entire day off to do whatever they wanted.  
  
And there was no way they’d be spending it shut in the motel room.  
  
Sam reached the end of the light and skidded to a halt. This was his first time taking the path on his own and he didn’t want to risk getting lost. He sent a glance over his shoulder, one last check to see the shadow that sat next to the vent and make sure Dean was alright.  
  
Then he pressed on.  
  
Sam ran a hand along the side of the vent to help find his way. Unlike Oscar, who’d learned the ways in the walls of the motel since he’d been born, Sam had never had to walk in darkness like this. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the dim lighting, leaving him in the dark. But he knew where the hidden home was and he wanted to find it on his own. If they waited for Oscar to find his way to their room the day would be half gone.  
  
His hand ran over a loose panel in the wall, and he came to a halt. This was it. The path to his friend’s home. Sam was larger than Oscar, so he was able to pry open the small entryway with ease. He slipped into the opening and let the panel close behind himself. From there he picked the direction he remembered from the times he’d come, helping Oscar bring home extra food to fill his barren shelves. Compared to the amount he needed to survive, they had plenty to spare.  
  
Sam’s small feet shuffled in the dark as he found the support beam and turned again. Almost there. At least once he got to the little home there would be light leaking down from the cracks in the wood.  
  
There was enough light at the end of the tunnel for Sam to see the block of wood that covered the entrance to Oscar’s home. It was to keep out pests like rats and spiders, he’d been told. It wasn’t foolproof, but any type of protection for a child that stood barely over two inches tall would help.  
  
More than anything, Sam wanted to ask Oscar if he wanted to come with them when they left. They’d spent so much time getting to know each other that he’d never want to leave his other friend behind. The world was dangerous and Oscar was very small. Forced to sneak into rooms inhabited by massive giants thirty times his size or bigger just because he needed food. Sam and Dean could help him out if he came with them; even if Sam got his curse reversed, he’d never try to _trap_ his best friend. And Dean treated the kid just like another younger brother, Sam was sure he’d agree.  
  
Of course, that left their dad.  
  
Putting that out of mind, Sam pushed aside the block and let himself into the small home. His eyes had to adjust to the sudden onslaught of light that leaked through the cracks in golden bars. It was welcome after so long in the dark.  
  
He dropped his cloth bag on the ground near the doorway and pushed the block back in front of the door. “Oscar?” he called out as he took a few steps into the home. “You around? I’ve got good news!”  
  
The voice at the edge of hearing drew Oscar out of a sluggish, content sleep. He'd gone to bed full yet again, and that made it pretty easy for him to sleep into the morning. When he wasn't in the motel room and dragged along to school, anyway. He'd gone a couple times, but only when he got too tired to go home the night before. Sam and Dean made sure he had a safe place to rest.  
  
Today though, he could tell there was enough light in the front room for morning to be well underway. Sam and Dean should be off to their school already, so Oscar decided he must have dreamed up the sound of Sam's voice calling his name. Sometimes his days blended into his sleep, after all.  
  
He mumbled something unintelligible even to himself and snuggled under his pile of blankets, drawing one closer around himself. Oscar was barely visible in his nest of cloth. But it kept him cozy, especially in the winter when the walls became drafty.  
  
"Jus' a little more sleep," he told himself and the house, sighing and drifting off again.  
  
If Oscar had ever stopped to ask Dean what having Sam around in the morning was like, he would have known there wasn't a chance he'd get to sleep in that day.  
  
Sam bounced into the bedroom, not about to take "no" for an answer. He didn't take it from his gigantic older brother, he wasn't about to take it from his smaller best friend. "C'mon, Oz!" he said, too excited to realize he was borrowing Dean's nickname for the kid. "It's _Saturday!_ Dean said we can go wherever we want and we can't let that chance pass us by!"  
  
Sam landed on the nest of fabric that Oscar had built up around himself for warmth and comfort. It took a minute of digging through the fabric to find a small shoulder so he could shake it. "Time to get up!"  
  
Oscar's eyes fluttered open, and he wore a mask of confusion. "Wh- ... Sam?" he said in a voice still thick with sleep. He squirmed away from his friend's insistent shaking so he could free his arms from the blankets and rub his eyes with his knuckles.  
  
After burying a yawn in his arms, Oscar crawled partway out from under his pile of blankets to sit up and look over at Sam. He was definitely there, a bright grin on his face for his triumph over Oscar's sleepiness. He'd come to Oscar's house all on his own this time, and that alone helped speed Oscar's journey towards being more awake.  
  
"Saturday?" he echoed, the unfamiliar word sounding so halting and strange in his voice. For people who had to survive day to day like Oscar, the actual names of the days weren't as much of a priority. He knew humans used them to set their schedules, and little more. "No school? Then where're we goin'?" he asked, intrigued now.  
  
Sam bounded his way back out of the mass of blankets that Oscar had surrounded himself with. "Dean said we can go to the park! If there's no one around we can go exploring like I used to get to do at uncle Bobby's before I got cursed!" Once he was standing on his own two feet again he gave Oscar's arm a tug. "And _then,_ he even said he'd take us to the movies because _Jurassic Park_ is playing and we can have popcorn!"  
  
Oscar let Sam tug him along, stumbling to his feet. He shook himself free of the last blanket and followed Sam out into the main room of his home. He was still blinking a little slowly, not expecting the early wakeup. He certainly hadn't expected someone to bounce onto his bed to find him.  
  
"Y'mean ... we're gonna go outside?" he asked, his eyes wide as he found his bag and pulled it over his shoulder. Outside was a dangerous place for someone so small to venture on their own. Oscar had only been out of the motel with Dean, and that was just to go to school. He stayed safe in the human's hood, out of sight of anyone or any _thing_ that might otherwise be a very real threat to the tiny boy.  
  
Sam nodded excitedly. “Yea! Dean said that if we promise to stick _really_ close to him, we can even explore the ground! We can see the grass and the leaves and get to be out in fresh air for a bit… it’s even warmer today than it’s been for the entire week! It’ll be like an adventure!”   
  
Unable to sit still, Sam darted into the other room. He scooped up his bag and bounced on his heels. “And _movies!_ We almost never get to go to the movies because we never have enough money but Dean said we’ve got plenty left on the card and he’s been really wanting to see the movie so he doesn’t mind taking us with him!” By the time he’d finished, he ran out of breath trying to get the entire explanation out at once.  
  
Oscar's eyes remained wide as Sam explained, and he took in each detail with care to make sure he didn't miss any of the plans. It was always good to be aware of what was coming with Sam and Dean. When he was caught unawares and taken to school with them after only a couple days knowing the brothers, Oscar had spent a lot of the morning stressed out beyond belief.  
  
Still, he wondered if there was anything that could adequately prepare him for going outside and _not_ being hidden. He'd never imagined he'd see grass or leaves for real. It was too dangerous to go outside on his own. He was small and easily targeted by the animals, but with Dean around to deter them ...   
  
A grin burst onto his face. "O-okay, I'll try it! I wanna see what grass looks like. And try popcorn." With his attitude decided on, he made sure he had everything in his bag (he did), and went to the door to lead the way back out.   
  
"You did a good job comin' all the way down the vent to get me by yourself," Oscar pointed out with a smile.  
  
Sam beamed at the praise. “I’ve been keeping track when you take me in the vents,” he bragged. “The hardest part was convincing Dean. He didn’t think I’d be able to find my way here without help but I sure showed him!”  
  
He fell into line behind Oscar regardless of his practice arriving at the house. He didn’t want to push his luck. As the darkness closed in again, Sam’s eyes flashed from side to side as he tried to acquaint himself to the lighting like Oscar. With practice, he was certain he’d be able to navigate walls just as adeptly as anyone else.  
  
Oscar chuckled, but the sound quickly died off. He didn't make as much noise in the walls just on principle. Whispering was one thing, but laughter was way too dangerous. A human could hear it by some chance, and they could come for Oscar. They'd go investigating and find a tiny house with an even tinier kid in it who would have no way of fighting them back, especially if it wasn't from the same room that Dean stayed in. That human, at least, was one Oscar could trust to keep him safe.  
  
" 'S a good thing, too," he muttered as they made their way. "I wouldn'ta known you didn't have school today. I was gonna weave all morning. It's hard, but I'm getting better at it."  
  
“I’da found my way eventually,” Sam whispered back. “I won’t give up easy. Dean would never let me hear the end of it if I got lost after all the arguing I had to do to get him to let me come on my own. But I’m gonna figure out the walls like this, that way I can try and find my way around at uncle Bobby’s on my own next time we stay with him. I’m not gonna be helpless anymore.” As small as his eyes were, a solid determination filled them. The complete assurance that he _would_ be able to master everything Oscar taught him and put it to use.  
  
Oscar grinned at Sam, but had to put a hand out to gently nudge his shoulder before he kept walking and missed the entrance to the vent. It was darkest at this point in the walls, so he could hardly blame the other kid for missing it. "Yeah, no more getting stuck up high," he agreed while they crawled back into the metal passageway. After Oscar closed up his door, there wasn't much farther to go. "I'm real glad you let me be your teacher, too. It's fun."  
  
When they reached the light spilling into the vent, it felt like their steps picked up speed. Oscar was excited to have more time with his friends. He’d grown used to them spending the days at school. Despite what he'd learned about humans, he only gave the room a cursory glance before slipping out of the vent with Sam, knowing that so long as it was Dean, he'd be fine.  
  
With the warning sound of small footsteps approaching, Dean was prepared for the sight of two small children slipping out of the vent. This time he already had a hand under them before they let go of the metal, landing them both in his palm with no time to spare. “Hey guys,” he said with a grin as he stood up. “Guess Sammy managed to find his way on his own after all.”  
  
His smirk grew at the annoyed look Sam threw up at him. “I _told_ you I'd be fine!” Sam tossed back instantly as he got shakily to his feet in Dean’s hand. Dean didn’t even get a chance to ruffle his hair as Sam batted away the closest finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's a stay at a motel without a trip to the park?
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox!
> 
> Next: A Day at the Park 2, coming February 22nd
> 
> Comments and reviews greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it)


	29. A Day at the Park 2

Dean always stood up so fast, and this time Oscar hadn't been prepared for it. Gravity had knocked him down and rather than fight it, Oscar waited it out. He sat himself up on the hand, waiting until the steep upward motion was complete. He adjusted his bag at his side and then leaned back on his hands, sitting casually on Dean's palm.  
  
"Sam did good," he chimed in, defending his friend. He was learning everything pretty fast, which was a relief to Oscar. He only had so much time before the two of them had to leave, and Oscar couldn't teach Sam anymore. "He made it all the way to my house and had to wake me up. I didn't even know today was, um, Saturday!"  
  
“Well it is,” Dean said, “and we’re not wasting it in the room. I think we could all use a break from studying and practicing.”  
  
He gave himself a quick once-over in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, then held them both up to the chest pocket of his jean jacket. “No hoodie today, guys. I need to be able to keep a better eye on you this time.”  
  
Sam bounded to the edge of Dean’s hand as the other hand propped open the flap of the pocket for them. He leaned off and peered into the depths. “I kinda like the pockets, anyway,” he said. “It’s just harder to watch when we’re in class, ‘cause other people might see me peeking out.”  
  
Dangling his legs off the side of Dean’s hand, he slid right in.  
  
Oscar scooted himself to the edge of Dean's hand, staring after Sam with wide eyes. He was more curious than unsettled, which was a refreshing feeling. Normally, he'd be terrified of the thought of being stuck in a human's pocket. He wouldn't be able to get out very easily by himself and the human could take him wherever they wanted to go.  
  
But this human was nice to Oscar. He'd given Oscar food every day they'd known each other, and that generosity by itself stuck out to the kid. Not to mention all the fun he and Sam could have out in the room with Dean looking out for them.  
  
He pushed himself off the side of Dean's hand, tumbling with less grace into the bottom of the pocket. It was different from the hood of Dean's other jacket. It was much smaller, and closer to the human's heart. Oscar could hear it thumping away in the wall of a chest next to them. "No one'll see us from outside?" he asked, squirming himself into one corner of the pocket and glancing around.  
  
“Nope,” Dean said as he checked himself out in the mirror one more time. As far as he could tell, there was barely a lump in the fabric. Two kids were in there and they could pass for a fold in the material. The slight weight was enough to pull his attention there, especially knowing his own little brother was in hiding inside.  
  
Once he was satisfied with how it all looked, Dean pinched the pocket open to peer inside. “Didja want to see what it looks like?” he asked, opening up the flap enough so that they’d be able to see outside.  
  
The way Dean's voice echoed around them, along with his breathing and the continuing beat of his heart, was disorienting to Oscar at first. He'd never expected to get this perspective on a human speaking. The words rumbled around him and Sam much more than usual, and he could feel the vibrations in his hands and feet and right in his chest.  
  
"I kinda wanna see," he admitted, squirming a little more to try and get his feet under himself. He had to grip the fabric around him, but that at least was easy. He pulled himself up to a stand, and then frowned. The pocket was deeper than he was tall.  
  
Luckily, Oscar knew how to climb fabric, and he started trying just that, though admittedly he wasn't used to climbing up the fabric on the inside of a pocket worn by a human. That was new.  
  
Dean couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the absolutely tiny kid trying to climb the inside of his pocket. “Here, let me…”  
  
He held up a hand, hovering a finger right outside the bottom where his brother was standing. Oscar was already far enough off the bottom. “Ready, Sam?” Dean asked. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to figure out what to do with a kid who was too small to see over the edge of his pocket.  
  
Sam braced himself. “Ready!” he called up with a grin.  
  
“Go!”  
  
Sam jumped into the air as best he could from the bottom of the pocket, which was more like trying to jump out of a hammock that was swinging in the air. He caught enough height that his legs didn’t get pinched when Dean pushed his finger against the outside of the pocket, giving them a surface to stand on inside. He slid it up a little with Sam keeping up, coming up under Oscar’s feet so they both could look out.  
  
“There we go,” Dean said, satisfied.  
  
"Woah," Oscar murmured, his fabric shoes scrambling a little as Dean helped the two of them up. He kept a tight grip on the pocket wall with one hand as they rose up in the shrinking cloth space. When they were high up enough to see out, his hands got white knuckles from his grasp on the edge.  
  
But his focus was on everything else.  
  
Since Dean was in front of a mirror, Oscar could see himself and Sam peeking out of the pocket. Their tiny faces had a big backdrop formed by the rest of Dean's jacket. If he really tried, he could almost pretend he was standing there himself, next to Dean. A fascinated grin broke over his face. "Wow, this is kinda fun," he admitted, glancing over at Sam. The other kid was actually _used to this,_ something that still amazed Oscar from time to time.  
  
The pocket felt a lot more secure than Dean's shoulder. Here, at least, Oscar had something easier to hang onto. He wasn't as vulnerable if Dean moved too fast; he could just curl up in the corner of the pocket. Oscar definitely had a preference for the more closed in hiding places, though it was hard to tell if that was instinct or something else.  
  
“I can’t wait until I can see out of the pockets without having to climb,” Sam said as he watched their reflections on the mirror. He waved at himself, always surprised to see how _small_ they were against Dean’s bulk.  
  
Slowly, his mindset was starting to change over from “When I get big again…” to accepting his size. There was no word from John about the curse. Nothing from Bobby about breaking it. His life was slipping towards being stuck the size of a finger for the remainder of it.  
  
Hanging out with Oscar was helping him adjust to it better than he had on his own. Him and Dean both could see that others lived like this and had their own ways of survival. The daily climbing lessons helped and Sam was starting to get into the habit of finding useful items around the room when he spotted them. He’d even gotten a few extra strips of aluminum foil from the kitchenette in the motel and shared them with Oscar. Their usefulness was clear after he’d used the foil cup in Oscar’s home that first time.  
  
“Ready to go?” Dean asked from above, his finger wavering slightly in place. “We don’t want the day to end without us!”  
  
Oscar leaned forward to peer straight over the side of the pocket before answering. The staggering distance to the floor stretched out beneath them, with perspective making Dean's shoes look a lot smaller than Oscar knew they were. He balked before it made him dizzy to look straight down like that, and instead tilted his head to look straight up. He had an upside down view of Dean's face and it made him smile faintly.  
  
"I-I guess so," he replied, though he kept thinking about how dangerous it was outside. Birds, cats, dogs, and other humans were everywhere out there. Even a lot of bugs would be a lot for Oscar to handle. He was nervous, but he didn't want to be left out of the fun. His friends would look out for him.  
  
“Time to get this show on the road, then.” Dean moved his finger out from under the slight pressure of tiny feet that he could just make out. Both kids dropped back down into the pocket, landing at the bottom together.  
  
Dean straightened his jacket one last time, this time lightly smoothing a finger over the pocket to erase any tell-tale clues that would point to what he had hidden in their. The flap was fixed as well before he was satisfied.  
  
Once everything was in its place, Dean went for the door of the motel, shoving the key to his room in his back pocket. He already had his wallet crammed in there as well.  
  


* * *

  
Oscar tucked himself into the corner of the pocket, trying not to move around too much since Dean had already brushed at it and straightened out the fabric. The last thing he wanted was to attract attention to the fact that two people were hiding in that pocket. He shifted his bag onto his lap, hugging it loosely while Dean's footsteps shook through their enclosure.  
  
"Kinda excited, but I-I'm also kinda nervous," he admitted to Sam in the lowest voice he knew the other kid could hear. He glanced to the side of the pocket facing Dean's front when he heard the enormous door open just beyond it. Like always, the air pressure in the room changed, and Oscar could feel it after growing up so used to the closed off air of the motel.  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll be okay,” Sam reassured the other kid. “Dean’ll make sure there’s no one else around, and having him with us keeps the animals away. If he sees anything dangerous around, we’ll just end up in the pocket again. He’ll grab us before anyone gets close.”  
  
With Dean walking swiftly along, Sam leaned against the warm wall behind them. He closed his eyes to the steady thrum of Dean’s heart, letting it relax him. “It’s gonna be fun,” Sam said dreamily. Excursions outside since being cursed were few and far between, and this time he had a friend to explore with.  
  
Oscar nodded, smiling faintly and settling down more securely in his corner. He listened to the heartbeat that thumped beside them, and if he really focused he could _feel_ it too. Oscar took his mind off his nerves by counting the steps Dean took. He could imagine the long, sweeping strides that'd easily take him several seconds to cover while Dean seemed to do it instantly.  
  
"Only grass I ever saw got tracked into the motel one time," he mused. "It was all dry and broken. Mom brought it back to show it to me." He'd also seen it in glimpses on the motel's TVs, however that was nothing like seeing the real thing. He was excited to see that for himself.  
  
He looped his fingers through the weave of Dean's pocket, finding it easy to grip it. If he peered upwards, he could see snatches of sunlight above. Oscar had a faint smile on his face, wonder and fascination alight in his eyes. He was going to see something new, and he was hoping it'd be just as fun as Sam said. With his friends around, he was willing to believe it would be.  
  
“The grass outside will be green and _all_ over the place,” Sam told Oscar. He held out his arms to try and encompass a sweeping field. He almost tumbled further into the corner as Dean took a step down from the sidewalk outside. “It’s fall, so the leaves on the trees will be red and green and orange and falling, and _windy_. And the grass is taller than we are, so we havta make sure we know where Dean is. We can’t go far from him, but it’ll be an adventure no matter what!”  
  
Oscar's mouth formed a small 'O' of surprise. The piece of grass his mother brought had been half his length. And, of course, seeing it on TV, so much shorter than humans, made it tough to know how high it actually would be. But if Sam was right, the two of them could easily hide in it. He was looking forward to it more and more.  
  
"I'm gonna find a leaf," he decided. He'd seen fake leaves on the plants in the motel lobby once. Now, Oscar was going to have a chance to see real ones. "Maybe I'll catch one if the wind isn't too bad."  
  
Sam grinned. Leaves would be bigger than them both, too. He could almost imagine trying to fly with one, but he knew that kind of idea would never make it past Dean. “We can see what color leaves we catch,” he said. “Some are so mixed between red and orange they almost look like they’re on fire.”  
  
It was only a few more minutes before Dean came to a halt. The pocket swayed forward, then fell back against the broad chest. “Okay, guys,” came the loud voice from behind them. The flap of the pocket lifted up. “We’re all clear.”  
  
Dean’s fingers slipped into the pocket around them, scooping the two kids into his grasp. Sam found himself tumbling against Oscar as the pocket dropped away and the world opened up around them.  
  
The area Dean had chosen was past the houses beyond the motel. With autumn in the air there was no one else around at the picnic area. A single oak tree stood tall above the teenager, its branches wafting in the breeze.  
  
Oscar's hands found Sam's arm almost of their own accord. It was similar to when the other kid got hold of him in the dark of the walls. This time, Oscar was in the completely unfamiliar environment, seeking an anchor for his nerves.  
  
He swept his gaze all around, watching the field of grass with pure awe on his face. He could see the shimmer in the green expanse as wind washed over it, creating soft waves and a faint rustling above them. It was a tranquil scene, not something he'd have expected from the wide, dangerous outdoors.  
  
He twisted around to look past Dean's face at the leaves shading their spot. A real tree. Oscar was certain it'd be impossible to count so many leaves, all waving and showing both sides in the wind. He traced their shapes, and his eyes trailed over the paths of the branches. "It's ... it's so _tall!_ " he muttered.  
  
The wind even tugged at his hair and shirt and Oscar had to close his eyes against the air flow when the breeze picked up. He shuddered once, but the chill didn't last.  
  
“Even taller than me when I’m done growing,” Dean said with a grin. He slowly knelt down, keeping his speed to a minimum for the two kids in his hand.  
  
The place he lowered them down to was only a foot away from the trunk of the oak tree. Its roots formed a barrier on each side, trailing down into the earth only to vanish under Dean’s feet. Sam hopped off the hand, landing down in the small dirt clearing. There was just enough space around him so he’d be able to see over the top of the grass as it wafted in the breeze.  
  
Once he was certain of his footing, he glanced back at Oscar. “You coming?” he called back with the biggest grin, excited to explore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The kids are out in the great big world at last, ready to venture into the wild! Dean watching over them all the while :3
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox!
> 
> Next: A Day at the Park 3, coming February 24th
> 
> Comments and reviews greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it)


	30. A Day at the Park 3

Oscar hesitated a second longer, craning his neck to peer at the ground from his safe place on Dean's hand. The grass ringing in the clearing really was taller than Sam, and a lot taller than Oscar. He was amazed and nervous all over again. He could get lost in there.  
  
He glanced back up, staring at the trunk of the tree above them and the way it stretched out high overhead. Then, he looked back at the smile on Sam's face, and stood with his bag clutched in his hands. "Okay," he answered, taking far more hesitant steps to get down from the hand.  
  
When his cloth shoes touched the dirt, he stumbled and looked down. The uneven ground, even the feel of the dirt itself, was unfamiliar and unique. Oscar shuffled his feet a little before looking back up at Sam with a surprised grin. "It's weird!"  
  
Sam kicked a tiny pebble with his boot. “Yeah!” Even though he’d known what to expect, it was odd to see the new perspective of the ground. What would normally be nothing more than dirt and dust had become pebbles and rocks that he could hold in his hand. Small rocks glittered in the dust, tiny fragments of quartz that were nothing more than a simple sparkle in the ground to Dean, but big enough for either of the small kids to hold in their hands.  
  
Sam dug out one such glimmer, staring at the clear rock in his hands. If he pretended, he could almost imagine that they were searching for diamonds in the ground instead of a common rock that could be found everywhere around them. “Check it out!” he said to Oscar, holding out his find.  
  
Oscar leaned in to look at the tiny stone in Sam's hand. It had some jagged sides, but most of it had been worn smooth by the other small rocks and pieces of dust around it. The closest he could equate it to was a piece of broken glass. That got tracked in and stomped into the carpet fibers of the motel rooms from time to time. "That's kinda pretty," he determined, wandering a few steps from Sam and scanning the ground to find one himself.  
  
Instead of another glimmer catching his eye, Oscar saw a twig just at the border of the grass right around them. He bounded over to it, nudging it curiously and feeling the texture of the bark. It was so different from the wood in the walls of the motel. It wasn't sanded to a straight edge, but warped and crooked.  
  
Oscar wrapped his hands around one end of the twig curiously and hauled back on it, trying to drag it out of the grass. It scraped along for about an inch before getting stuck, and he had to let go of it. He smiled again, fascinated.   
  
Dean laughed at the sight of the two kids having fun on the ground. He scooted himself back against the tree so he could lean on it. Unlike the others, he was looking forward to the movie later that afternoon more than the park. He’d wanted to see Jurassic Park since it had come into theaters, but there was no way for him to just up and leave Sam back at the room for that long on his own. Not standing barely over two inches tall. Not with Sam already having been the target of a witch so recently. So he’d decided, now that they movie had been out for weeks, they could spend a day out and get to do what they _both_ wanted.  
  
Dean reached out, pulling the twig free for Oscar. “Holler if you two need any help,” he said as he let his head rest against the tree. He didn’t plan on taking his eyes off of their surroundings, making sure there were no other humans or pets in the area.  
  
"Okay," Oscar agreed, already walking around the twig and checking out its twists and angles. He ducked and walked under it, tugging on his bag when it almost got caught on one small branch of the stick. He grinned and went back over to Sam, practically bouncing on his feet. Oscar felt primed and ready for exploration out here, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Exploring in the walls felt so dangerous, because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to find his way home.  
  
Here, however, he wasn't alone. "Sam, the air outside tastes so good," he said, looking straight up at the branches of the tree above them. "It doesn't smell like insulation or cigarettes out here." Of course, Oscar couldn't really say what it did smell like, other than "outside."  
  
He glanced around them and asked in a quieter voice, "Should we go see the grass closer? I-I don't wanna get lost but maybe just a few steps, just to see!"  
  
Sam grinned at that. “You bet!” He pointed up at Dean. “As long as we can see Dean, he can see us too. So we won’t get lost ‘cause he can just pick us up and bring us back here.”  
  
Dean gave them both a brief smile in response, showing that he was paying attention to what they were talking about down on the ground. It was fleeting as he turned his attention back to the tranquil park.  
  
“C’mon,” Sam said, leading the way towards the very edge of their small clearing.   
  
Oscar followed behind Sam, letting the older boy lead their exploration towards the grass. Oscar was looking forward to seeing it, but he couldn't hide away _all_ of his nerves. It was still very new to him and he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.  
  
Especially when they reached the edge of the grass. He tilted his head back to stare at the green stalks that went over his head and swayed in the breeze. The smell of the plants was more noticeable, a sharp, musty scent that made the grass seem that much more alive. Oscar found himself tentatively reaching out to touch one waxy stalk, and marveled at the texture.  
  
Before they could walk among it, Oscar lightly gripped Sam's sleeve in a pinch, anchoring himself to the other kid before they ventured into something so unknown.  
  
Sam put his arm around Oscar as they stepped into the grass. It shot up above their heads, leaving just the blue of the sky visible with wisps of clouds drifting overhead. Dean was just barely visible with the broad trunk of the tree rising up above his head.  
  
Not far away, a snail made its slow way up one of the thicker stalks of grass. It had managed to hang on despite the earlier intrusion by Dean’s boots as the teen walked up to the tree. Now a thin trail crawled up the stalk behind it, showing the slow progress.  
  
“Check it out!” Sam said with a laugh, pointing at the snail that was the size of a large cat to them.  
  
Oscar brightened and watched the slow creature make its way up the stalk of grass. The green blade leaned a little more with each passing second as the weight of the snail bent it. Oscar had only ever seen slugs before, and those only once or twice; they didn't like the dust in the motel very much. Out here, it wasn't as much of a problem.  
  
Oscar was tempted to reach out and feel the texture of that spiral shell. But, he held back, worried he might knock the snail down from the grass. It looked like it had worked hard to get up so high. He wrinkled his nose a little at the sight of the slimy trail it left behind it, while its eye stalks waved this way and that.  
  
"I wonder what it'll do when it gets to the top," Oscar mused, glancing up. The grass around them almost seemed to lean in, as if watching them as curiously as he watched it. He watched the blue sky for a few seconds, before looking all around them at the grass again. Everything around him was completely foreign to the life he recognized back in his home.  
  
His thoughts came back to the snail, with its fascinating crawl up the grass. Oscar leaned to the side to watch it from a different angle. "Maybe it's lookin' for a leaf like we are."  
  
“ _Or_ ,” Sam said, getting into the ideas, “maybe it’s trying to have an adventure like we are and wants to see what’s above the grass. It’ll get to see the rest of the world around it when it gets to the top! If it catches sight of Dean, it might think he’s the big scary monster of the grass, looking for little snails to grab!” He giggled a little at the thought. Dean might be big enough to take a mistaken step onto a snail like that, but there’d be no way he’d grab one from the grass.  
  
Sam's laughter was contagious and Oscar stifled his own with a hand. He watched the snail for another second. "Well hopefully it doesn't fall right down then," he mused. Dean was big and he could be scary, but he wasn't so bad. Oscar had come to know the human was safe, though he couldn't expect the snail to know that.  
  
"If the grass wasn't so thin we could climb it too," he added, wrapping his hands around one nearby blade of grass. He tried to haul himself up it, but it gave with even his small weight, bowing to the ground so that Oscar was hanging there at an angle before he let himself fall onto the soil with a snicker. The grass sprang back up as if it hadn't been disturbed at all.  
  
“No, but we could always climb the _tree,_ ” Sam mused curiously. He glanced over his shoulder at the towering oak that Dean was leaning against. Even from down in the grass it was easily visible, eclipsing a good portion of the sky above them with the wide branches that jutted out overhead. “The bark was really rough when I was big, so it would have a lot of handholds. We could even get above Dean’s head if he let us!”  
  
Oscar found himself staring up at the tree once more. The towering oak shaded all three of them protectively, and provided Dean a place to sit while the smaller children explored and had fun outside. It was the first time in Oscar's life that he got to have fun outdoors, and he was glad for the location Dean had picked. It wasn't so scary at all.  
  
"Maybe we should try," he agreed. Climbing, after all, was one thing he got to do a lot, so he enjoyed the activity enough. And he was interested in seeing how different it'd be to climb something that had all of its own handholds, rather than the smooth surface of the furniture that required a rope.  
  
With a laugh, Sam turned and bolted back towards the oak tree behind them. “Race ya!” he called over his shoulder, grinning a challenge back at Oscar. The smaller kid was quick on his feet, and Sam didn’t doubt he’d catch up in no time at all. The tree was an entire two feet away, after all.  
  
His bag bounced at his side with his short strides, a reassuring weight that he’d grown used to. Belatedly, he shoved his tiny quartz rock in the cloth bag to keep it safe. It might be just dust to Dean but to him it was a crystal that he didn’t want to lose.  
  
"Oh!" Oscar straightened in surprise, caught off guard by Sam taking off through the grass. He took off after him, finding it hard at first to push past the grass. He eventually got the hang of it enough to sprint after Sam's head start, biting his lip in concentration. Luckily the oak tree stood so tall overhead that it was impossible to miss it and get running in the wrong direction.  
  
He lost a little more time having to dash around a thicker tuft of grass. Oscar was worried he could get stuck in it if he tried to push through it, and that would be embarrassing. "Sam, I wasn't ready!" he called ahead, though there was a laugh in his voice as he ran.  
  
“Oh, you weren’t, were you?” Dean asked from above as he spotted the small race going by next to him. “Guess that means I’ll just have to give you a hand…”  
  
With careful aim, Dean managed to pinch the back of Oscar’s shirt mid-run, lifting him briefly up in the air and dropping him right down next to the trunk of the oak tree. Sam, a few inches away, skid to a halt when he saw that he’d lost. “Aww, no fair!” he complained.  
  
Dean gave him a light nudge. “I’m just evening the odds a little.”  
  
Oscar's eyes were wide and he glanced between the two brothers, tilting his head back to watch Dean's smirk before looking down at where Sam stopped. He could see his indignant look through the the grass, and Oscar felt a sheepish look take over his face. He certainly hadn't expected to be picked up and moved. In fact, he'd been so unprepared that at first his legs had continued moving for a second as though he were running.  
  
"I-it's okay, Sam," he called back. "You prob'ly woulda won." Oscar hadn't been gaining as much ground on the other kid when Dean decided to join in the fun in his own way. The terrain was too unfamiliar and Oscar still wasn't really used to it.  
  
That said, he turned to look over the tree trunk behind him. The slope of it quickly angled upwards into a vertical surface. Oscar could only take a few steps onto the weird textured surface before he needed to shake his oversized sleeves off his hands and grip some of the many handholds in the tree bark. "This is way easier than even climbing the bedsheets!" he called out once he was an inch or two up, twisting around to grin at Sam.  
  
“Really?!” Sam darted over to the edge of the bark below where Oscar was climbing. In his peripheral vision he saw Dean shift his position to be able to watch them better.  
  
Remembering the snail they’d just watched, Sam went “No, wait!” to Dean, throwing up his hands into the air.  
  
Dean froze, raising an eyebrow at Sam in confusion.  
  
Sam pointed over at the grass. “Don’t hurt the snail! He’s just tryin’ to climb up the grass!”  
  
A small smile twitched at Dean’s lips. “Is that it?” He glanced towards the grass where Sam and Oscar had darted out of and found the snail still continuing its plodding journey up the blade of grass. Dean touched the grass lightly with a finger, watching the slow progress as the snail resolutely ignored him. “I won’t let anything happen to him,” Dean promised as he let the blade of grass go, swinging in the breeze.  
  
He shifted position with more care after that, watching as the kids started to climb up the tree. His fingers twitched with worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two little kids and their snail, on an adventure!
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox!
> 
> Next: A Day at the Park 4, coming February 29th
> 
> Comments and reviews greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it)


	31. A Day at the Park 4

This time, Oscar had gotten a head start with the climbing. He wasn't treating it as a race, however, since it was such an unfamiliar surface to climb on. Oscar was fascinated but cautious, making sure his footing was always sure before moving his hands to the next angle in the tree bark. It was like the enormous plant was _made_ for someone like him to climb up.  
  
He paused to take a breath and look around. He held himself as flat to the tree as he could, looking over his shoulder at the grass and the way it stretched out around them. He could even see their snail, still making his way up that blade of grass with no mind for the breeze that made it sway.  
  
The breeze was far more noticeable up here. It tugged at Oscar's hair and shirt and he shook his head, looking back at the tree trunk in front of himself to avoid tumbling down. "We could make it all the way to the branches on this, it's so easy to climb," he commented. Of course, not that he necessarily _would_ want to climb so high. There could be birds up there.  
  
Sam, making his way up behind Oscar much slower, glanced up towards the branches at his words. They stretched up above even Dean’s head, and for a moment the sheer height of the tree made the world telescope around him. Sam clung tight to the bark, trying to get the sudden vertigo to go down. “That’s so high!” he said, his face dug into the bark.  
  
“Definitely higher than you two are going today,” Dean interjected, holding his hand under Sam’s clinging form in case he slipped off.  
  
Oscar nodded, far from wanting to argue with the older kid's verdict. He didn't mind heights usually, but that was _way_ up there. And, if they got too high for Dean to reach them, then he couldn't keep them safe. Oscar didn't want to run into a bird or anything else that might live in the tree.  
  
"I didn't ever realize how tall trees were. This has gotta be taller than the motel!" Oscar's eyes were wide as he considered this. The motel, until recently, was his only view of the world. It was the tallest thing he knew about, other than the telephone poles. All Oscar knew before meeting Sam and Dean was that the world beyond the walls was huge, far bigger than he could ever hope to deal with.  
  
Becoming friends with the brothers felt like the big world got a little smaller every day, like he could face it with more confidence even though he was so small.  
  
"A-and I've seen 'em on TV, buildings even _taller than trees!_ " he added, sounding almost like he didn't believe it.  
  
Sam loosened his death-grip on the tree a little at Oscar’s excitement, focusing away from the height. “Buildings in cities get _tall!_ ” he called up as he started to climb again. “We don’t get to see them much ‘cause dad spends most of his time in small towns or out in the countryside, but skyscrapers really do look like they touch the sky!”  
  
Sam’s own outlook on skyscrapers was still attached to how he’d felt as a human. He couldn’t even imagine the sight of them now that he was so small. He might not even be able to see the very top of one if he looked straight up!  
  
Thoughts like that made him very glad to have Dean around to help him face the world.  
  
Oscar had to laugh at the thought, though the awed tinge in his voice was unmistakable. The sky was visible in patches above them, every time the leaves and branches swayed just right. It was a rich light blue with fluffy clouds here and there. It looked close enough to reach out and touch, and yet too far away to ever be reached. To think of a building standing _so high_ was heady all by itself.  
  
He was distracted from his response when a leaf high above broke away from the tree, fluttering downwards in a lazy zigzag motion. It flipped and turned as the wind caught it, and Oscar had to stop climbing to watch it make its way towards the ground. "Maybe a leaf will land right on Dean's head," he suggested, giggling quietly at the thought.  
  
Dean held out a hand to catch the falling leaf, but it fluttered out of reach before landing on the ground. “Nah, I think just Oz’s and Sammy’s are meant to be on my head,” he said with a laugh.  
  
Sam made it a few inches higher up on the tree and glanced to the side with a grin. He’d finally gotten high enough to see eye to eye with Dean, and he didn’t waste the opportunity, sticking his tongue out at his brother. This just resulted in Dean doing the same back at him, then plucking Sam off of the tree with a complaint.   
  
“I think that’s high enough,” Dean pointed out. “Otherwise I might have to stand up!” He grinned at the annoyance Sam shot up at him. “How ‘bout it, Oz? Need a hand?”  
  
"Okay," Oscar agreed, pausing in his slow climb. His arms weren't exactly tired yet, considering how often he had to climb (and how small his weight was to haul around), but he was definitely starting to feel it. He wriggled only a little when he was plucked away from the tree, and that was only to stay comfortable while stuck between some fingers.  
  
"We should go get the leaf," he said, his eyes still bright with excitement. "I wanna see what it feels like!"  
  
Dean chuckled as he put them down on the ground. Not _too_ close to the leaf. That would take all the fun out of it. “That leaf’s bigger than you are,” he said. “You two planning on taking home souvenirs?”  
  
“I found a crystal!” Sam said, pulling out his tiny shard of quartz.  
  
“Did you?” Dean leaned down, trying to squint and see the rock he’d found. Considering that Sam and Oscar’s fingers alone were hard to see from his point of view, he thought it was an accomplishment to even see what was clutched between the tiny fingers. “You’ll have to save that one!”  
  
The quartz threw the sunlight, winking and glittering in Sam's raised hand. Oscar smiled at the thought that Sam had already gotten used to using his bag to store away the things he found. The bags really were useful, and he was glad he'd had a spare for his friend to take. He would need it if he was going to go around at their size.  
  
"There might be more to find. I don't think I'll keep the leaf 'cause it's so big and I don't have room, but I wanna at least _see_ it!" he explained. He'd never had the chance for something like that. Now that he did, he was practically bouncing on his feet.  
  
“Then let’s go find it!” Sam declared, carefully tucking his gem back into his bag and closing it up with a certain reverence. He smoothed the top of the bag down. It had only been a short time that he’d possessed the bag but it was growing to be his most prized possession. He even kept it next to him when he slept. With it, he had all the tools he’d need to get himself around the room without Dean in case of an emergency.  
  
Sam stood on his tip toes, trying to spot where the leaf had landed. He shaded his eyes, then let out a gasp. “There it is!”  
  
The leaf had landed a few inches away from Dean, closer to the teen than the blade of grass with the snail slowly trailing up it. Sam set off in that direction with determination.  
  
Oscar shifted his bag on his shoulder and followed, the all-important cloth container lightly hitting his side with each step. He pushed aside blades of grass as he went, his eyes angled upwards to watch their tips swaying from the disturbances. He wondered what their trail looked like to Dean, with his higher vantage point. He could probably follow them easily just from watching the grass move.  
  
Oscar gasped when they reached it and rushed forward, taking in the leaf's appearance. It was a distinct, sharp shape, curled a little where it had landed among the grass. The waxy surface was mostly green still, but the edges and tips of the leaf were faded to orange. Oscar ran a hand over it, feeling the sturdy but pliant texture of it curiously.  
  
"Wow," he breathed. And then he grinned and walked around the leaf to duck underneath it, finding himself in green and orange colored shade. With the sunlight above, it was easier to see and trace the vein-like patterns in it.  
  
Sam trailed behind his friend, more accustomed to the sight of leaves, if not at the same size as this one. He remembered running around outside of Bobby’s house one year, trying to catch the brightest orange ones he could find. And later, after he and Dean had helped rake the few that found their way into the yard, jumping in a huge pile of them and sending the leaves flying up into the air all over again.  
  
When Sam touched the leaf, it was so familiar-yet-unfamiliar under his fingers. He could actually _feel_ the veins perfectly and the memory of it being easy to rip in his fingers was gone as he realized it felt more like a thick leather. He _might_ be able to tear it in two now, but it would take a lot of effort for an action that used to be accidental. “What do you think?” Sam asked, ducking his head down to peer underneath the shadow of the leaf.  
  
Oscar glanced over from where he squatted under the leaf, the fascinated grin still plastered on his face. One hand was raised, tracing the texture of the veins in the leaf, while the other idly grasped the strap of his bag. "It's pretty," he answered, noting the colors of the leaf and the way they contrasted with each other. "And it's kinda heavy." To demonstrate, Oscar pushed upwards on the leaf and lifted it, but with a little effort. The thick material, still full of water from when it was attached to the tree, resisted his movement.  
  
When he scampered back out from under the leaf, it sagged back down to the ground. He was very glad Sam had come to his home to invite him along. Oscar probably wouldn't have very many opportunities like this one.  
  
Sam pushed on the leaf in turn, testing out what Oscar had said. The leaf was surprisingly resistant. “We used to rake the leaves when I was big,” Sam said. “It was one of our chores at uncle Bobby’s. Then, when we got them into a big pile we’d run and jump in!”  
  
Sam jumped on top of the leaf, surprised when it didn’t sag all the way to the ground with his weight added to it. The blades and sticks underneath were enough to keep it suspended in midair. He let out a laugh, trying to sit up but failing when the side he leaned on would give under his weight.  
  
Oscar laughed at Sam's antics, and clambered onto the leaf himself. Since it was shifting around, he didn't keep his footing and he pitched to the side with a gasp and slid back off onto the dirt. "Oops," he muttered, scrambling back to his feet. He hopped back up, trying to help counterbalance with Sam so the two of them could sit up on the leaf. It still tilted at an angle thanks to the grass underneath resisting their weight.  
  
"I think we'd get lost with a whole pile of 'em," he determined. Their efforts to wrangle just one leaf were entertaining by themselves. Having several to contend with would be quite a task indeed. Dean would probably be laughing at them.  
  
“One is plenty for you two,” Dean agreed. He sat up and swept the leaf with the two kids in it into his grasp. “But it’s starting to get late and we’ve got a movie to go to so the leaves will have to wait for the next time.”  
  
Sam and Oscar both tumbled to his palm as he plucked the leaf out from under them. Sam grumbled as he pushed himself up on his hands. “How late is it?” he asked as he tried to get his hair back to normal.  
  
Dean tilted his other wrist towards them so they could read the clock on the watch. “We gotta head out so we don’t miss it. I’ll at least need _some_ time there so I can grab the popcorn.”  
  
Sam hopped to his feet. “Okay!” Extra small or not, he was excited about the trip to the movies. Even when he’d been normal sized they’d never really gotten to go see movies unless Dean snuck them in.  
  
Turns out, with only one kid to buy food for, money lasted a lot longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the movies!
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated.
> 
> Next update March 2nd


	32. A Day at the Park 5

Dean dropped their leaf down in the grass near the snail they’d left behind. It had finally reached the peak of its journey, making the blade of grass tilt back towards the ground in an arch as it plodded along.  
  
Oscar remained seated in Dean's palm, propping himself up on his hands while the human stood. Gravity once again tried to keep him down and he resisted. He wondered if Sam was already accustomed to that sensation or if he was still getting used to it. Regardless, Oscar would take a little more to figure out how to stand up without feeling so wobbly when Dean lifted him up.  
  
"I can't wait to try the popcorn," he said with a soft smile. He was interested in seeing what the movie would be like, too, but Oscar was, as usual, preoccupied with the thought of food. He'd been able to try so many things he'd never have the opportunity to eat normally. The list only grew the more he hung around Sam and Dean.  
  
"Plus we're getting other snacks," Dean replied as he thought about the movies. It had been ages since they last went and he was craving raisinets.  
  
"What kinda movie's it gonna be?" Oscar asked, peering up at Dean curiously. He was willing to bet that no matter what it was, it'd probably be very loud for someone Oscar's size. He was already mentally preparing himself for all the noise.  
  
Dean tucked his hand against his chest and started walking. "It's gonna be all about the dinosaurs," he said, angling deeper into the park with a plan to cut across it to save time on their trip since they didn't have a car and he was pretty sure John would frown on him hotwiring a car just to get a few blocks down the road.  
  
"I used to have a dinosaur book growing up," Sam said. "It was one of my favorites. I can't wait to see what they look like in the movie."  
  
"Probably really tall," Dean said as he grinned down at the two pint-sized kids on his hand. "Good thing they're extinct now or they might getcha."  
  
Sam made a face at him. "Nu-uh! They'd go for you, we're too small to even be noticed!" He pushed against Dean's chest.  
  
Oscar sported a blank look. He watched Sam shove at Dean's enormous chest for a second before glancing up at the human. He could at least calm any momentary nerves about something _getting_ them, just seeing the joking look on Dean's face. He stopped any shudders before they started, thankfully. He wanted to brush it off like Sam was. But there was one question that had to be answered before he could do that.  
  
"Um. What are ... dinosaurs?" He spoke the word slowly and carefully, making sure he repeated it as they'd said it. Oscar had never _heard_ of such things, or, for that matter, what it meant for them to be 'extinct.' "They won't _really_ get a-any of us," he added, making it a statement but letting a hopeful tone color his voice regardless.  
  
"No," Sam said reassuringly with one last elbow to Dean's chest. "They're not gonna get anyone. They used to be around but something happened years and years ago and now we can't find anything left of them but bones."  
  
He held his arms out to the sides, trying to stretch out as far as he possibly could. "They're _reaaally_ big. So big that Dean would be shorter than their arms! And they're really scaley, like big lizards. In the movie someone brought them back to life and tried to make a park, so we'll get to see what all the dinosaurs look like."  
  
"All you two have to worry about... is _me!_ " Dean declared with his scariest voice, pretending to grab at them with his other hand.  
  
Sam stumbled back on the hand. " _Deaaan!_ "  
  
Oscar let out a squeak of alarm and immediately curled up almost entirely on reflex. His legs tucked close and his arms wrapped around them while he hid his face behind his knees. He was huddled in a small ball, a lot like his first time in Dean's hand minus the frantic, panicked crying. Instead, he felt his face heating up and he peeked just his eyes over his knees, surprise and embarrassment both shining in the widened eyes.  
  
He heaved a sigh as his heart calmed back down after the startle reflex. Dean's scary voice was just a game. His other hand hadn't even grabbed them up. Oscar's ears turned red over his reaction.  
  
He finally lifted his head enough so his whole face was visible, not just his eyes. He offered Dean an exasperated look for his trouble. "Don't do _that_ ," he complained mildly.  
  
Dean laughed at the two disheveled kids. “Okay, you got me. I won’t do that again.” He glanced around at his surroundings once to make sure they were still out of range of anyone else spotting the small lives he held. “But I will do _this!_ ”  
  
Instead of pretending to scare them, Dean curled two fingers around them to search for any ticklish spots he could reach. Especially Sam’s neck, which all he had to do was lightly brush over and his little brother tried to curl into a ball to escape. With Sam in a ball, he tried to get Oscar in the stomach and the side with nudges where he could barely feel the kid with his finger. With kids so small, less was more.  
  
Oscar flinched away in surprise, an involuntary grin coming to his face as he tried to squirm away from the ticklish contact. "Oh _no!_ " he squealed, losing his balance and flopping over on Dean's hand. It didn't help him to hide his side, and he wriggled away from the light pokes the best he could between short bursts of quiet giggles.  
  
"D-Dean, quit it!" he insisted, putting both hands on Dean's fingertip and shoving against it for all he was worth. Of course his strength was no match, but he used the leverage to try to squirm away more.  
  
“Oh, did I find your ticklish spot?” Dean grinned, focusing his efforts on Oscar.  
  
With Dean distracted, Sam rolled out from under the fingers. Dean had come to a halt to focus on them so he didn’t press too hard against fragile bones.  
  
With him stationary, Sam’s next plan would be easier.  
  
Sam grabbed the folds of the jacket that Dean was wearing in the chill autumn day. Oscar’s giggles rose behind him as he started to ascend the vertical wall.  
  
His older brother didn’t notice until it was too late. Sam reached Dean’s collar and dove at his neck, managing to get between the collar and the skin and attacking it with tiny hands.  
  
Dean flinched, trying not to squish his little brother. “Whoa! Not cool!” He tried to stop the laughing as Sam giggled and kept going.  
  
"G-get him, Sam!" Oscar cried, his voice still full of laughter. He was breathing heavily and squirming as far away from Dean's fingers as he could with the human momentarily distracted. He hadn't even seen Sam climbing away. The tickle attack had been too sudden for him to hold off all of his laughing.  
  
Dean's laughter shook faintly in his arm all the way to his hand, and Oscar could feel it as well as hear it all around, thanks to how close he was to Dean's chest. Oscar released a few more sparse giggles between deep breaths, before figuring out a good hiding place from further attacks so he could watch Sam get revenge on his big brother.  
  
Oscar crawled towards Dean's fingers and curled up right at the base of the huge digits. They could curl around him, but the tips couldn't reach him to tickle at his sides as easily. Oscar peeked out from under them, grinning up at where Sam was at work.  
  
“Quit it, pint-size!” Dean tried to say sternly, but the laughter shaking his shoulders ruined the effect. He tried to grab his little brother out of the crook of his neck, but Sam just squirmed away from the fingers that groped blindly in between laughs.  
  
Sam himself found a new perspective as he crawled away from Dean’s fingers, tickling the neck he was next to the entire way. With the jacket collar over him, it was more like climbing through a tunnel. One that wouldn’t stop shaking from the laughter he was causing. Small hairs on the back of Dean’s neck rose at the feeling of tiny hands and feet finding purchase. “I think I have a better idea!” he yelled out with another giggle, digging his hands into the back of Dean’s neck, where he was most ticklish.  
  
The entire world shifted around Sam and he clutched to the hairs that fell down where he was clinging. Dean was hunched over, breathing heavily and trying to recover from the laughter. “Give in, Deanzilla?” Sam called out with a laugh as he gave one more tickle.  
  
“Fine… you win for now… pipsqueak…” Dean huffed, completely winded after Sam’s counterattack.  
  
This time Sam let Dean reach him, the long fingers curling securely around his small body to bring him back to the hand Oscar was curled up on. “I think I need to keep a better eye on you,” Dean said to Sam with a smirk. “You’re like a tickle ninja.”  
  
Oscar had to cling to Dean's fingers to feel more secure as the human moved around trying to catch his little brother. By the time Sam was back, he was hanging on to Dean's index finger quite tightly. But he crawled out from his almost-hiding-place to sit near Sam again with a grin.  
  
"You tickled a giant!" the younger boy crowed, throwing his little arms in the air to indicate just how giant Dean was. His cheeks were still a little rosy from all of his own laughter, and it brought out how much healthier they looked after his short time with the brothers. Oscar was livelier than ever thanks to Sam and Dean.  
  
“And I’d do it again!” Sam declared brashly. “I’ll bring down the giant!”  
  
Dean had to smile at that, not bothered by the small declarations. “So now you’re the giant-slayer?” he asked Sam gamely. “And _Deanzilla._ That’s a new one. I think I’m a fan of it.”  
  
The renewed giggles on his hand were worth the new nickname. “You’re like Godzilla but with more _Dean,_ ” Sam said brightly.  
  
“I can live with that.” Dean glanced around the area he’d found himself in while distracted. “But now it’s time for you two to hide for a bit. I’ll get us to the theater and get some snacks.”  
  
Once they both agreed he slipped them into his chest pocket once more, making sure there was no tell-tale lump that might point to the fact that his baby brother and best friend were hiding away inside. At least he’d only have to pay for one ticket, since everyone else could stow away on him.  
  
It was another five minutes of walking through the slightly more populated area of the town before he arrived at the theater. It made an attempt at grandiose but fell short with dingy, dirty white walls that could use a good power wash. Red velvet could be seen everywhere inside once he opened the door, an attempt to give patrons the feeling of the red carpet in Hollywood during grand openings and private screenings.  
  
One movie ticket, one huge container of popcorn, a drink that was oversized even by Dean’s standards and a box of raisinets later and he was on his way to the showing. The movie was in its last weeks and had been relegated to the downsized theaters at the ends of either hall. His timing couldn’t be better. Mid-day on a Saturday meant most people were still outside enjoying what might be the last good day of the fall before the cool winter air struck. The rest of the people in town were out shopping.  
  
Dean had the theater to himself.  
  
Him, and his two hidden passengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >w> Can't have kids without a little goofing off, am I right?
> 
> Sam knows all Dean's weaknesses ;) Get that Deanzilla!
> 
> Little shoutout to mamajamallama, her wonderful Deanzilla story (search for it on fanfiction.net - Deanzilla vs. Hydros) is a huge inspiration to me! 
> 
> Comments and kudos always appreciated!
> 
> Next: A Day at the Park 6, coming March 7th


	33. A Day at the Park 6

With five minutes to spare before the movie started, Dean hurried up to the top of the theater, electing for a seat that wasn’t _too_ close. Considering the size of his brother and Oscar, they might not be able to see what was going on if he got close to the screen. Finding the center seat, Dean spread out his snacks and drink before reaching into his pocket to pull out his smuggled-in passengers.  
  
Oscar was ready, along with Sam, for Dean to retrieve them. He clambered onto the curled fingers and clung to them the best he could while they were drawn out into the open again. Oscar blinked, surprised to find the room so dim compared to what he expected.  
  
There were chairs all around them, in varying stages of worn out. The distant walls and ceiling were a little grubby from years of dust collecting without anyone bothering to brush it away. Railings lined steps that ran up between the rows of tiered seats, allowing for a lot of humans to move up and down at once, but no one was there.  
  
Oscars eyes were on the screen in short order. He stood shakily on Dean's hand, his expression awed. He twisted around to address both of the brothers. "That's gotta be the biggest TV in the world!"  
  
“One of them!” Dean searched for a place to put the two children and settled on the armrest of the chair for a minute. “Gimme a sec, I just gotta grab everything.”  
  
Sam and Oscar clambered down from his hand onto the thick red fabric of the chair. Sam gazed into the distance, as wide-eyed as the other kid at the size. “Wow! I never thought it would be _that_ big!” Sam exclaimed with a gasp.  
  
“Just wait until the movie starts,” Dean grinned back. He grabbed his popcorn and raisinets and kicked his boots up on the chair on front. “Recliner seats are the best,” he said as he rocked the seat backwards.  
  
Dean held an arm up against the armrest for the other two to use as a ramp. “Ready for the best movie of the year?”  
  
Oscar's eyes were still wide with awe and he nodded emphatically before hopping over to Dean's arm. He wobbled for a second and crouched to grab Dean's sleeve, making extra sure he wouldn't tumble over the side. Once he had his balance secured, he stood up straight again and made his way up Dean's arm, tongue stuck out slightly for concentration.  
  
At Dean's shoulder, he paused to look at Sam and figure out where the other kid would settle down on the slope of Dean's chest. He didn't want to be far from the only other person his size around. "Come on, let's find a place to sit so we can have some of the popcorn," he said. The smell of the stuff was filling the air, and Oscar found himself glancing over at the big container.  
  
“We gotta sit front and center!” Sam said, leading the way to the center of Dean’s chest. It wasn’t like they’d have to worry about Dean seeing over their heads, after all. Even leaning back like that he had plenty of clearance to make out the projection screen.  
  
He found a place halfway down Dean’s chest, far enough that the teen would be able to enjoy his popcorn and soda as much as they would. Plus they wouldn’t have to worry about him getting crumbs all over their sitting area.  
  
“Jus’ don’t get any soda on my shirt…” Dean said as he put a bottlecap down between the kids, full of cherry coke. “Laundry day can wait.”  
  
He dug through the container of popcorn to find two buttery kernels and put one down next to each kid, followed by two raisinets. “Lemme know if you want more,” he said as he relaxed back with half-lidded eyes.  
  
If anyone was to walk into the theater at that moment, they’d be treated to the strangest scene. Two kids were settled onto the older teen’s chest, looking for all the world like it was the most normal thing for them to be doing.  
  
Oscar shifted his bag so it was behind him, forming a sort of cushion to lean against. With his little legs stretched out in front of himself, he took a moment to get used to the way Dean's chest rose and fell steadily beneath them. He watched the bottlecap carefully to make sure the movement wouldn't tip it over before turning to look curiously at the popcorn.  
  
It was bigger than his head, and it looked a little like the fluffy clouds outside but with butter drizzled on it. Oscar picked it up hesitantly, marveling at how light it was. With the popcorn in his lap, he looked quite ready for the movie to start.  
  
"I hope-" he started to say, but the remainder of his sentence was lost in a squeak of surprise as the speakers stationed all around the theater crackled to life with a loud musical notice that the movie was starting up. The lights above got even dimmer, and Oscar's eyes grew wide. Now the three of them were lit only from the front as light reflected off the screen.  
  
"I hope the dinosaurs aren't _too_ scary," he whispered, trying again. He tried some of the popcorn at last, and raised his eyebrows in appreciation. While previews for things he hadn't heard about came on the screen, Oscar focused on eating more of the delicious snack.  
  
“Me too!” Sam hissed back. Before following suit with Oscar, he dug out the small aluminum foil cup he now carried with him everywhere and left it next to the bottlecap. He stared at it for a moment to make sure that the breeze that hit them on each exhale of Dean’s didn’t jar it from its spot, then turned his attention to his own food.  
  
The raisinet was the size of a football, at least, and he took a bite from the edge while the previews rolled on. “If you get scared you can sit over here,” Sam said. “No one will get us on Dean!”  
  
Oscar nodded, watching the screen. Occasionally, the colors were so bright and vibrant that he had to squint at them. Oscar was so used to being in the dark, and even going outside had seemed a little bright. This, a lit screen in a dark room, however, grabbed his focus more. Everything seemed so bold.  
  
Once the advertisements quieted down and the movie actually started, Oscar paid rapt attention. The scene was dark and it definitely sent extra chills up Oscar's spine as much as the air conditioning did.  
  
When shooting and shouting and terrifying growls from an unseen beast started up, Oscar covered his face with his hands first. Then, he scooted himself around the bottlecap of soda so he sat closer to (and a little bit behind) Sam, ready to duck behind the other kid if things got too scary.   
  
Sam flashed Oscar a reassuring grin when he noticed the other kid move, then helped by pushing the soda further to the side so it wouldn’t get bumped aside by either of the kids. Dean was watching the screen intently, but every so often his eyes would flicker over to them and make sure they were okay, and not too scared.  
  
The initial introduction ended, and the storyline of the movie started up. These scenes weren’t as terrifying for the kids and during them Sam grabbed his foil cup and dipped it into the bottlecap. It wa a thousand times easier to drink out of compared to the way he’d been using the entire bottlecap up until Oscar had given him his first foil cup.  
  
The occasional shifts under them from the third member of their group weren’t enough to offset their balance, and Dean ate through his own buttery popcorn. If anything, everytime Sam noticed the movements of his older brother it would help tear him away from the movie and back to reality where they were perfectly safe, sitting in a theater.  
  
For a while, the movie didn't get too frightening. Oscar watched with interest, though there was also enough confusion about almost everything that he decided to just go with it. He didn't know a lot about the human stuff going on, because he'd never had a reason to know, and it wasn't like he ever watched the news in more than passing glances. People like him didn't have a use for it. It wasn't like they were likely to leave. Oscar sitting there watching the movie like that, _on a human,_ was probably a first for their kind.  
  
Eventually, the movie got loud and chaotic as a monstrous 'dinosaur' with huge teeth started attacking the humans on screen. The sounds blared out of the theater's speakers, and it was all too real to hear what the monster's footsteps sounded like to the humans. Oscar dealt with _that_ everyday.  
  
Of course, when someone got _eaten,_ Oscar grimaced and hid his face behind Sam with a shiver. He should have expected it to happen, really, but all the same it came as a surprise to the young kid. His eyes were shut tight and one hand clutched lightly at Sam's sleeve. It hit close to home, knowing there were a lot of creatures out there that could easily do the same to him.  
  
Sam leaned into Oscar as well, his eyes wide as he watched the T-Rex stalking the kids in the car. The popcorn kernels sat forgotten by the cap of soda and he held his drink close to his chest.  
  
While they were huddled together, a hand came over them and made the kids jump in surprise.  
  
Sam glanced over his shoulder, meeting Dean in the eyes. "Don't worry, nothing's gonna get you guys with me around. I promise," Dean whispered back to them. He curled his fingers inward so that the hand formed a cave over their heads that they could snuggle under to feel safe.  
  
Enclosed spaces were reassuring. Sam was coming to discover how true that was. A place where he could watch if anyone was coming, where he could hide if he got spotted.  
  
Sam pushed the bottlecap out of their line of sight and lay flat on his stomach in the warm cave. "C'mon, Oz," he said. "No dinosaurs under here."  
  
Oscar didn't need to be told twice. A small space like that was a lifeline he didn't know he would end up needing, but was very grateful for all the same. He pushed himself backwards into the low cave that Dean built with his hand, feeling the body heat from the hand above and the chest below. His shivers died down as he settled as far back as he could while still being able to see the movie.  
  
Oscar tucked his bag under him and rested his chin on it. It wasn't a moment too soon, because it left his hands free to cover his ears when the huge dinosaur roared at the humans. It felt like the sound bounced right through his whole skeleton, and covering his ears didn't do much to stop the onslaught of sound. Oscar heaved a short sigh in a failed attempt to calm his nerves.  
  
"Th-those things are pretty scary," he whispered to Sam. "I-I'm real glad there aren't any more."  
  
“Nope!” Sam whispered back with a grin. “We just have this lug to worry about!” He thumped a hand against the chest underneath them. The steady breathing briefly hitched in surprise, then a finger curled inwards to poke back at Sam.  
  
Sam crossed his arms in front of him once Dean’s hand had resumed its reassuring cave shape, and rested his head. He couldn’t help but wish he could figure out how to ask Oscar if he wanted to come with them when they left.  
  
That way he’d never be lonely again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie at last!
> 
> Next: Hide and Seek, March 9th
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr (brothersapart.tumblr.com) and drop it in my askbox!
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it, we can take constructive criticism I promise)


	34. Hide and Seek

"Five hundred… four hundred and ninety-nine... four hundred and ninety-eight…"

Dean's voice filled the air in the motel room. He stood in a corner, one arm against the wall and leaning his head against it with his eyes shut. After getting home from school that day, they'd decided to try out a game that Oscar had suggested back the first week they'd found him.

Hide and seek.

"Four hundred and ninety-seven…"

Dean counted down slowly and deliberately. Considering the size of his two opponents, he wanted to give them plenty of time to get around the room. Sam had come a long way with climbing around on his own, but he was still climbing a _cliff_ just to get up to the table. If he felt rushed, he might make a mistake and slip.

So Dean took his sweet time, both ears tuned to the room around him to try and pick up the whispered hush of the children trying to hide from him.

"Four hundred and ninety-eight…"

Oscar ran as fast as he could on his short legs, with Sam alongside him. He sported a smile on his face and glanced over his shoulder once at the towering teen in the corner. Still facing away.

They'd decided that, in order to keep it fair, they had to stay inside the room. That meant no climbing in the walls for him and Sam. Dean wouldn't be able to get to them there, and he'd probably worry too much about Sam for it to be fun for him.

But Oscar still knew _plenty_ of hiding spots in the room. It was part of how he got by.

Oscar had survived on his own for around a year before ever meeting Sam and Dean. It was a harsh existence, but he made it. Now, his cheeks were a lot fuller than the gaunt appearance they'd had for much of that time, and his eyes were brighter, healthier than they'd ever been. It was all thanks to his unlikely friends.

While they ran across the floor, he turned his head to Sam and pointed upwards, at the bulky TV sitting on the dresser. It'd have plenty of space behind it to hide, and it even left them plenty of room to duck out of the way if Dean came looking. "There?" he whispered, in the quietest voice he could manage.

It would mean they had a climb ahead of them. But Dean was still counting in several _hundreds._ They probably had just enough time to climb up their pin-and-thread climbing lines and dash behind the TV.

"Perfect!" Sam giggled back as he kept up with the younger boy. Oscar might be shorter than he was, but he was fast at darting across the room, as he'd discovered during tag. Now they were working together to find the perfect spot to hide.

There was another foot to run to the dresser, and Sam put his all into the dash. A distance that Dean could cross in just one step, and they crossed it faster than they ever had before.

Skidding to a halt at the edge of the dresser, Sam pulled out the hook Oscar had given him and gauged the height of the wooden cliff that stood before them. With his tongue sticking out in concentration, he carefully tossed up the paperclip. All the practice he'd done paid off, and it landed up on the surface.

Sam gingerly pulled it towards himself, just barely keeping in a shout of triumph as it caught on his first try. They needed to keep quiet. Dean would be listening and trying to pick out any clues that would help him find their hiding spot. His voice was a constant, comforting background noise as Sam tugged the thread to make sure it was anchored and could hold up his weight.

Oscar bounced on his feet and grinned proudly. Sam had come a long way in learning how to climb, and Oscar was glad to have been the first to teach him. The older boy took to the skill naturally.

Soon, Oscar's own safety pin hook was sailing upwards, landing on the dresser as softly as he could make it. At least Dean was talking, so he probably covered up the sound with his own rumbling voice. Oscar began climbing hand over hand up his thread towards the top of the dresser.

Sam was still careful and deliberate with his movements, and so despite his slight head start, Oscar matched his height after a while and managed to barely overtake it on the way up. He hastily stuffed his pin in his bag, possibly tangling the string, before crouching next to where Sam's pin was hooked into the side of the dresser.

"C'mon," he muttered with an encouraging grin, reaching over the side to grab Sam's arms and help him up the rest of the way. Normally, he wouldn't have rushed, but they still had some distance to cover and the count went right on, numbers called out over their heads.

"Thanks," Sam said as he finally made it over the edge. Oscar was stronger than he looked for such a scrawny kid, and had no problem getting Sam up. It never ceased to amaze Sam to see a kid that stood so much smaller than he did, lifting up weights that should daunt Dean.

Sam almost stumbled as he got to his feet, and shot a glance towards Dean's towering figure standing in the corner across the room from them. The teenager was steadily counting down and hadn't moved when Sam and Oscar talked. Hopefully he hadn't heard them climbing, or them talking.

Snatching up his paperclip, Sam coiled it around his arm. "He'll never find us," he giggled as he followed Oscar to their hiding spot.

Oscar grinned in agreement, a quiet giggle escaping him, too. Luckily they were across the room. The farther they got away, the less likely Dean was to be able to hear them.

He rounded the side of the TV, nearly skidding on the dust on top of the dresser and toppling over. He caught his balance with a gasp and kept running with Sam until they were behind the enormous plastic casing of the television. It was dustier back there, but the particles of dust were too big for them to worry about breathing in. It merely clung to their clothes harmlessly.

When they were back in the secure hiding place, Oscar crouched down, his knees close to his chest. It made him look extra small. He covered his face with a hand to hide any excited giggles. They'd picked a _really_ good hiding spot!

Sam squatted next to Oscar, attempting to brush some of the dust off his own arms. It didn't go willingly. They were so small, Dean would never find this place!

"Five… four… three…" Dean had to grin as he counted down the last few numbers. Small giggles had drifted to him on the still air in the motel room. Not enough to know exactly where they'd gone, but plenty to let him know they were having fun, and that's all that mattered.

"Two… one… Ready or not, here I come!"

Dean turned around at last, brushing back his spiky hair with a huge smile. "Now," he said to the empty room. "If I was two kids that could fit in a hand, where would I hide?"

He took a few careful steps away from the wall, watching the ground as he always did while he searched for a tiny leg or arm sticking out from a hiding place. He didn't see any sign of their climbing ropes in any of the usual spots, so hopefully they'd had enough time to get themselves to a hiding spot. He'd figured five hundred would be a good number to go with for counting. He could always make it longer or shorter the next time.

"Would I… hide under the bed?"

Dean peeked under the bed, searching for any sign of them or any tracks through the dust. He was always surprised at the sight of either kid looking comfortable with the mess. Bright green eyes scanned the floor, and he couldn't even try to hide his grin.

Oscar's eyes lit up with mirth and he grinned at Sam. Of course Dean would check under the bed first. It was the most obvious choice. Which was exactly why they couldn't hide there.

Oscar ducked his head to hide his face as a faint snicker shook its way through him. He couldn't help it. He was too proud that they'd managed to make it to their hiding spot before Dean was done counting, and he was too giddy from the chance to actually play around.

He could hardly believe that he was sitting there, hiding from a human, and _not_ feeling the least bit scared. Normally, a situation like this would be the scariest thing he could imagine. But this was actually _fun._

Sam giggled along with Oscar, and tried to _shush_ them both. It didn't really work, and Sam covered his face with his sleeve.

Dean pulled himself off the ground. Tiny giggles reached him, and years of training with his dad helped him track the sound to the dresser in the room. His eyes flashed towards the television for a second, but that was it. He occupied himself with searching out other hiding places instead.

The game wasn't over yet.

"Would I hide under the nightstand?" Dean wondered as he walked between the two beds. He poked his head into the dark shelf of the nightstand. He nudged the room's Bible out of the way, pretending to check behind it.

"Hmm…" Dean hummed to himself as he stood back up. "I'd _never_ hide on the table, would I?" He paced back over to the table, dramatically searching the table and lifting up the empty food wrappers. "Or under my homework…" he joked as he shuffled the pages and checked under them. Every so often his eyes would flash to the dresser to see if his antics were having the desired effect.

The sound of rustling papers nearly made Oscar burst out into giggles right then and there. He couldn't help it. It was so _funny_ that Dean was really checking the table for them. They were small, but not small enough to hide under his papers!

Both of his hands were covering his mouth to stifle the giggles, though his belly almost hurt from holding it in. He turned his head to the side, knowing that the table was on just the other side of the dresser. He could see Dean's shadow on the wall.

He scooted just a bare inch or two further along behind the TV, leaning just enough to catch a glimpse of the back edge of the table. He still didn't see Dean, though. He bit back a giggle and scooted back to his original spot.

"Where else?" Dean put his hands on his hips as he feigned thinking over the other options in the room. "I'd _never_ hide behind the television…"

The giggles that made it to him made him smile. It was good to hear both of the kids enjoying themselves after everything they'd both gone through. Sam being cursed, Oscar losing his mom over a year ago… The young boy had been on his own all that time, stubbornly surviving against all odds.

Dean walked past the television and opened up his duffel bag. "Would I hide in the clean clothes?" he asked the empty air, extending the game for a few more seconds of fun.

Sam snickered at that and crawled to the edge of the television to peek out. His big brother was hunched over and all he could see was his back as he rummaged through the clothing.

Oscar pursed his lips, but failed to conceal his grin, and giggles still kept escaping him here and there. He crawled forward, too, not minding a dust clump that was hopelessly stuck to his shirt. It wasn't hurting anything, and it wasn't nearly as interesting as trying to keep an eye on the human in the room.

When Dean shifted and looked like he was about to stand up straight again, Oscar grabbed Sam's arm and tugged him back into the shadow of the TV, trying to shush him while failing to be completely shushed himself.

Sam almost tumbled over, trying to catch his balance as he scrambled away from the edge. Dean's shadow straightened, and this time they could hear the smile in his voice. "Nope, nothing here…" the teenager drawled.

That was the last thing they heard before a hand swooped around the television from the other side, scooping under Oscar as he tugged Sam back. Both children tumbled over backwards into the waiting fingers and they curled gently around the little forms, cushioning them as they were lifted out of their hiding spot.

Dean held the two kids up closer to eye level, a huge grin across his face. Sam untangled himself from Oscar, batting one of the fingers around them with a small fist. Even Sam couldn't stop a smile, though, laughing from the fun of the game and full of adrenaline from the catch at the end.

"Took you long enough!" Sam called up. "We almost fell asleep waiting!"

"Oh, did you?" Dean poked Sam in the side with a finger, nudging him in a ticklish spot. Sam collapsed into giggled that were egged on by the adrenaline. "I'll have to get sharper next time."

Oscar let out his suppressed giggles at last, no longer needing to hide the noise. His laugh was still quiet by comparison, but it was mirthful all the same and he was just as wired from adrenaline as Sam. It was supposed to be _scary_ to be grabbed up in a human's hand, but he'd only been startled. Otherwise, Oscar found he didn't mind all that much. He knew he could trust Dean.

He pushed himself up onto his knees and braced his hands against the base of Dean's thumb while he peered over the side of the hand. Dean had whisked them right out of their hiding spot from the opposite side they'd expected.

Oscar twisted around to look up at the human. "Behind the TV is one of the _best_ spots," he explained. "That's why it took so long for you to figure it out."

"It is?" Dean leaned over, peering behind the television to check out their hiding spot. If they weren't playing a game and were  _actually_ hiding, he could see the merit to staying back there. There weren't many reasons for people to go behind the television so long as it was working, so the back existed under the mantra of 'out of sight, out of mind.' If people weren't actively searching out a person Sam or Oscar's size, they could go completely unnoticed back there.

"Well, since you're such an expert," Dean said, stepping back from the television to kneel by the bed for a minute. "I'm sure you'll figure out exactly where I'm gonna hide." He placed his hand on the soft surface of the bedcover to let them off.

Sam didn't just step off, he bounced onto the bed. His grey bag thudded against his side as he tumbled on the surface. He couldn't wait to go find Dean.

Oscar took careful steps off Dean's hand, but once he set one small cloth shoe on the surface of the bed, he stumbled, too. He rolled over and pushed himself up shakily, his eyes a little wide as he concentrated on standing.

He looked up and nodded, a cautious confidence on his face. "I bet we can find you," he insisted with a nod. " _You_ can't go outside either, so there's only so many places for you to hide!"

He darted over to Sam's side, a bashful look on his face as he looked up at the older kid. "I dunno how high we should count," he said, and then, in a quieter voice, "M-maybe you should do it, 'cause I don't ..." Oscar trailed off and his cheeks turned bright red. "I dunno how to count past thirty," he whispered.

"Don't worry, I got this," Sam said, just as quietly. He pat Oscar on the back. "If you want, I can teacha when we walk back to your house." It wasn't Oscar's fault he'd never had the chance to learn. Sam would do what he could for his new best friend.

Sam straightened and jabbed a finger up at Dean. "You get a count of fifty!" Sam declared. Since the teen didn't have any trouble getting around the room, he didn't need the extra time they'd gotten. "Better get hidden!"

"No peeking!" Dean said with a playful nudge against the kids to send them tumbling.

Oscar fell over with a quiet _oof_ and sprawled on the cover of the bed. But, instead of standing again, he just put his hands over his eyes while he faced the ceiling. It was his best bet for not peeking, considering Dean was really hard to miss.

"Thanks," he whispered to Sam, feeling his blushing diminishing already. He was glad the older kid hadn't found it weird or funny that he didn't know how to count very high. Even up to thirty was shaky for him, because he'd never been able to learn the pattern before his mom disappeared.

Then, in a louder voice, Oscar said "Okay! Go hide! We'll come find you next."

Sam rolled over and buried his head in his hands. Neither kids were afraid of closing their eyes with Dean around, giving the large human their trust.

Dean grinned and stood as his little brother started to shout out numbers. Sam didn't bother counting backwards (partly because he didn't want to but mostly so Oscar would get to hear the numbers in a way that made sense).

"One! Two!"

Dean stepped quietly back from the bed, glad he was standing in his socks. He was light on his feet even in boots, an important lesson he'd learned from his father, but being light on his feet when two kids the size of his fingers were around was a whole new challenge.

With his destination in mind, Dean padded silently away from the bed.

* * *

"Forty-nine! Fifty!"

Sam rolled back over, bouncing to his feet on the bed. "Ready or not, here we come!" he hollered across the still and silent motel room, blinking in the light after having his eye covered for so long.

Oscar sat up and rubbed at his eyes to get used to the light. For him, being in the dim walls was far more comfortable. Being out in the light all the time was actually not very normal for him, and he had to get his eyes used to it after covering them for so long

He stood and bounced a few times on the plush surface of the bed, before stopping to look around the room. As he focused, he was nearly frozen. Trying to find where humans were in a room was one of the most valuable skills his mother had ever told him about. Not knowing could mean capture, and most of the time capture didn't get you two new best friends.

Oscar frowned faintly. He still wasn't as good at it as he needed to be. He couldn't hear over the sound of air in the vents to pinpoint the sound of Dean's breathing, but then again the human could be holding his breath or something. They didn't hear a door, so they knew he didn't go outside.

"I don't think he's close to the bed," he determined, scanning the other furniture curiously. "I don't hear him at all."

"Weird," Sam said, wandering over to the edge of the bed. His focus was distracted, trying to listen for any movements beyond their small area, so he stumbled a time or two while walking. He peered off the edge once he reached it. "He wouldn't hide _under_ the bed, would he? All we have to do is climb down to find him there!"

Sam worried his lip as he tried to think of other places to hide. His memories of what a room like this looked like from a human's vantage rose to mind. They were growing soft around the edges, but still bright enough to come up with other ideas.

"Maybe the closet," Sam came up with as he peered across the room. There was a small closet opposite the bathroom where Dean hung his clothing (sometimes). There'd be space to hide between the clothes, and room enough for a human his size.

Oscar wandered to the edge of the bed near Sam, eyeing the closet. "That's a good idea," he agreed with a nod. "Let's check that out first. Maybe we'll hear him when we get closer."

He leaned forward to check how far down the blankets reached from the bed. Near the corners, they extended almost all the way to the floor, leaving a gap about half Oscar's height. It would do nicely to climb down that way. He looked back over at Sam with a hopeful grin. "Come on, let's go find him!" he said excitedly before settling himself down near the edge so he could grip the fabric and slide over the side, clinging to the blanket like a webbed ladder.

Sam swung down after him. The bed was much easier to climb down than the nightstand, the table or the dresser. Their fingers found easy purchase in the thick fabric, clinging to threads that humans couldn't even see.

Down was faster than up, so it took almost no time at all before their feet touched ground. Sam hit the thick carpet in his boots and Oscar in his fabric wraps. One day Sam would outgrow his boots and then he'd have to find an alternative, but until then he was thankful for his boots.

With his luck Dean would find him pink shoes from a dollhouse set if he gave him a chance.

The bed was empty underneath, just like Sam had assumed. No Dean.

"We've totally got him," Sam giggled as he set out across the room. There was no other place that he saw for Dean to hide in the area.

Oscar followed Sam, his cloth shoes making no noise on the carpet as they made their way towards the closet. Sam had had a good idea. Oscar never would have been able to think about things from a human perspective. In his eyes, the closets in the rooms were still expansive and not the best choice for something to hide behind.

He glanced up at the ceiling as they walked. It was so far away. Oscar wondered absently if Dean would be able to reach it when he was done growing. He wasn't finished yet and he was already so tall. Oscar was really really hoping to reach three and a half  _inches,_ while Dean would probably get to six feet before he stopped getting taller.

The closet door loomed closer and closer, and Oscar stared at it with wide eyes. It was only slightly ajar, and almost pitch black within. Oscar squinted at it, seeing the outline of a coat hanging in there. "I don't know if I see Dean in there," he whispered as they approached. "Maybe he squished himself into the corner."

"If he's in there," Sam whispered back, "we'll find him." The darkness inside kept him just as subdued. He tried to walk quieter, knowing Oscar's cloth shoes gave him an edge in staying silent.

Unseen by either kid, Dean peeked from around the shower curtain in the bathroom. He grinned at the sight of them approaching the closet, the complete opposite direction from where he was actually hiding. The bathtub was perfect. It was big, it was deep, and he could duck down in it if they came around. And of course, the shower curtain hid him from view.

Dean shifted silently in the tub, watching them to see if they'd take the bait and search for him in the closet.

Oscar grinned at Sam and stepped forward hesitantly. "We'll check," he said, and turned his gaze upwards again. The door was so tall. He knew he'd have difficulty getting it to even wobble, let alone move. Even when he was fully grown he probably wouldn't have the strength for it. It was made for humans, through and through.

He crept up to the small opening left by the door. The thought of sneaking around to _find_ a human was kind of funny to him, and Oscar giggled breathily. Usually he'd be sneaking away.

He stopped by the door frame, unable to just stand in the middle of the opening. It was too nervewracking. He peeked around the edge of the door frame instead, leaning partially into the darkness in the closet.

Sam bumped into Oscar when he stopped, and then peered around the door the same. His eyes took longer to focus, trying to see what was hiding in the darkness.

They were so intent on trying to see if Dean was in there, they never saw the teenager climbing over the side of the bathtub. Hunched over, he padded silently out of the bathroom, making sure to keep his shadow from falling on them.

If there was ever a dead giveaway for him being around, that was it.

Dean dropped to his knees and swept a hand out in the same motion. His speed sent both kids tumbling into his grasp all over again, the motion carrying them all the way to his chest this time without hesitation.

With a laugh, he sat down on the floor. "You guys are fast!" he complimented them. He unfolded both hands under the kids to give them space to move around.

Disoriented, Sam lay flat on his brother's palm and stared up at the big green eyes in surprised. "Where'd you come from?" he asked in confusion.

Dean smirked and gave him a wink. "That's my secret," he joked.

Oscar clung to Dean's thumb for a second, his heart fluttering and taking its sweet time to settle down after all the rapid motion and having a human sneak up on him somehow. He'd been so focused on the closet and the contents of it that he'd forgotten to listen for breathing or check the rest of his surroundings.

When he finally got his bearings, Oscar peered around, trying to find where Dean was hiding. He found the open bathroom door and his mouth formed an 'O' as he realized it. Of the two choices in this side of the room, Sam and Oscar had checked the wrong one.

"That's sneaky!" he said, finally letting go of Dean's thumb so he could sit back and look up at the huge smiling face. "I wouldn't'a thought of the bathroom! I've never really been in one of them before, and it's a whole _room_ so it doesn't look like a hiding place." In that sense, Oscar's separation from a human view of things was most obvious. The bathroom might seem downright cramped to Dean, a human, but to Oscar it was just as cavernous a space as the rest of the motel room.

"But we were supposed to find _you!_ " he realized after a second with widened eyes. Oscar's face broke into a grin and he tapped his hand on Dean's hand below him. "So we found you! You came out of hiding!"

"That's right!" Dean said, feigning surprise at the declaration. "I guess that means you two win the game!" He curled his fingers over and mussed up both kids hair, grinning at the annoyance he got from Sam as the both tried to fix up the scattered locks. "I'll have to work on that next time. Keep you both guessing."

"You'll never best _us_ at hiding!" Sam bragged as he dropped his hands from his hair. "We're too good!"

"Oh, you are, are you?" Dean asked with a smirk as he went to stand up. "If that's true, I guess I'll have to eat dessert by myself if I can't find you. I even found some pie to celebrate your win today. Best pie in the state."

Sam's eyes went round. "Apple?"

Dean nodded smugly. "There's nothin' better. 'Cept warm peach cobbler with ice cream. I've gotta find that sometime. Oz, you stickin' around for some snacks?"

Oscar nodded eagerly, and his eyes were wide. He'd never tried apple pie before. Or _any_ pie, really. Every time the Winchester brothers invited him to try a new food, he was happy to eat it. The variety he got while they were feeding him (and even sometimes letting him take some home to his shelves) was incredible. Oscar's usual of crackers and crumbs was beyond bland by comparison.

He reached up to try one last attempt to fix his messed up hair, but it was wild after Dean's joking around. Oscar barely accomplished anything, but he didn't care. He bounced a little with excitement. "I wanna try it. I bet it's good!" he declared with a grin.

Oscar was having too much fun. He wished his friends didn't have to leave when their month was up.

None of them knew what might happen then, but at least for now, they were happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean, you cute dork. Making sure those kiddos have a good time.
> 
> Next: Sam Makes a New Friend, coming March 14th
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox!
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it, we can take constructive criticism I promise)


	35. Sam Makes a New Friend

Oscar made sure his shoes actually made a little noise in the dust on the ground. Normally, he'd never think of something like that, and his cloth shoes were designed to be silent. But, in the very low lighting in the walls, Sam needed help to find his way. His eyes weren't used to the dark, yet, and Oscar was trying to help him.  
  
"I can get to _anywhere_ in the motels just usin' the walls," he explained in a hush. He looked back and saw that Sam was stepping hesitantly along, and rather than leave him on his own, Oscar gently put his hand on Sam's arm. He could guide him while Sam learned.  
  
"I don't walk around in the vents _too_ much or it gets too cold or too warm," he continued, leading Sam around a corner. For the moment, they were still adjacent to the room that Sam and Dean were staying in, though not on the same path that Sam already knew. Oscar wondered if Dean was listening for them out there.  
  
Sam’s head was on a swivel the entire time Oscar talked, his eyes doing their best to focus on anything in the deep shadows and dark interior of the vents. His heart fluttered at the darkness around them, finding it nervewracking to lack any ability to navigate on his own. Without Oscar, he’d end up lost a few feet away from the entrance to the room. The light dropped away with startling quickness around the first corner.  
  
Oscar was not only _used_ to it, he was an expert at finding his way around, and found it normal.  
  
Unlike Oscar’s cloth shoes, Sam’s boots made a noticeable sound when they impacted the metallic ground that surrounded him. He did his best to soften the noise, actively working to disguise his movement. One day his life might rely on that ability, and he wanted to be just as good as Oscar at it.  
  
“I can imagine,” Sam breathed, thinking of the hot air that could blow out of the vents during the winter, and the icy breeze that would waft its way into the motel rooms during the summer. “Do you try and time when the air comes on? That way you can move when it’s safer.”  
  
Oscar grinned. "I do my best!" he replied, thinking of the times he'd been stuck on a route home and had the whole system start up. The loud clang of the distant air conditioner or furnace starting up always echoed to him, a reminder of the sudden air that would follow. He did his best to escape the air ducts into the walls themselves if that happened.  
  
"Sometimes in the winter if it gets real cold I can go lean on the outside of the big duct close to my house. It gets real nice and warm. I can even push my blankets on it to warm them up and then go hide under 'em," he explained. When the weather outdoors was warmer, it was much easier for Oscar to maintain a good temperature. He preferred the warmth over the cold any day, and the walls, not ventilated themselves, warmed up during the summers.  
  
Oscar giggled quietly, continuing in his quiet voice. "One time I was waiting in the vent and trying to see if there were humans in a room, and the air condition started up and it was really loud. I thought it was a human doing something in the room at first."  
  
Sam let out a breath. “That could be scary!” he declared, thinking what other humans were like. He wasn’t afraid of Dean, and Bobby and John weren’t dangerous for him, but anyone else made a chill run up his back. Big hands that could grab them off the ground, trap them with no way out, he didn’t want to stumble across a room with strangers in it anytime soon, especially not while he was just learning.  
  
His new size put a new perspective on his life, and there were times he hated it. Forced to consider everything a threat, forced to remember that even Dean could be a danger to him. His older brother _shouldn’t_ be dangerous!  
  
“Do humans ever look in the vents?” Sam whispered back. He needed to know everything he could about the dangers.  
  
Oscar pursed his lips and tried to think of an instance where a human had looked into the vents. Other than Dean leaning down to watch him and Sam disappear into the walls, he couldn't recall a single time. "Well, I never saw one doing that," he admitted. "But my mom always said that they _would_ if there was too much noise."  
  
There were a lot of things about the world that Oscar's mom had known or seen for herself. Oscar always wondered how much she still would have been able to teach him, if she had come back the night she went out. He would never know, and that was a large part of why he was so cautious with the things he _didn't_ know. He was learning a lot about everything just from being around Sam and Dean, at least.  
  
"It's pretty safe to travel in the walls themselves, 'cause the humans can't check there as easily." He stopped and peered around this section of the air duct. They were still near Sam and Dean's room, so Oscar wasn't as nervous about them quietly whispering to each other as he might normally be. "I think there's a way out into the walls near here, if you wanna try to see in there," he suggested. "Might be some light leaking in through the wallpaper. No one lives on this side of the room though so it's really dusty."  
  
“Sure!” Sam said in a rushed, whispered exclamation. A little dust wouldn’t hurt. Dean had long since commandeered the sink in the bathroom for Sam to use to wash up if he needed it, making sure there was no possible way for the tiny child to slip down into the drain. He’d even found a way to drape a washcloth into the sink, enabling Sam to climb up on his own so he didn’t need to call for help with the simplest task.  
  
Sam’s hand found Oscar’s sleeve, clutching the too-big shirt that the other kid was wearing. “Lead the way,” he said in a hush. He’d like to be able to see where he was going, even if it was just for a little bit. Maybe being in dim setting like that would help him adjust to the darkness a little more, growing used to the shadows without the glaring light that filled the motel rooms.  
  
Oscar smiled and nodded, even though he knew Sam didn't see the gesture. It was hard to make out someone's face in such low light. Even Oscar couldn't see _perfectly_ if it was too dark. His adaptation only went so far.  
  
He led the way along the wall of their metal corridor, brushing his fingertips on the side. He found the loose panel he was looking for after a few more steps, and dug his fingers into the small gap. It was easy. He wrenched the panel aside, finding it easier to move than the one closer to his home. He'd have to investigate why that was, at some point.  
  
"Okay," he said, a cue for Sam to follow him through the gap he made. He took Sam's wrist and guided his hand to the top of the opening so he wouldn't bump his head as he ducked through. In no time at all, the tiny children were outside the vent in the dusty walls themselves.  
  
Sam straightened, blinking blearily in the newfound light that lurked in the walls. Drifting motes of dust could be seen suspended in the air, swirling around at their passage. A few steps in, and he turned to blink at the panel they’d just made their way through, an entrance for people their size that Dean wouldn’t be able to fit his _hand_ through.  
  
“This is something else,” Sam said, keeping his voice at a low level. It felt… eerie, inside the walls. Like he was in another world, almost. He didn’t want to disturb the surroundings, knowing that he was outsized by almost everything in their world.  
  
Oscar smiled faintly. It was easier to see his face in the low light leaking in from a split in the wallpaper above. They were just on the edge of the illumination before it faded into murky darkness in either direction. "It's not too bad," he said, nudging a woodchip with his shoe. It, like some other debris, was left behind from when the building was made.  
  
"The path to my house is a lot cleaner, though, 'cause I don't want too much dust," he explained conversationally. Oscar looked in both directions before he nodded to himself, assured of which direction they'd need to go if they wanted to get to his home from here. That was a long walk.  
  
He opened his mouth to say more, but paused, almost frozen, and listened. There was a distant sound in the dust, something moving in the darkness beyond the area they could see. Oscar listened with a look of concentration on his face and turned his eyes towards the source, watching the dark. If they needed to run, they at least had the air duct right there to scurry into.  
  
Oscar could see farther into the dark. When he saw the source of the quiet shuffling, his face broke into a grin. "Oh!" he muttered excitedly, glancing aside to Sam to see if he'd noticed yet.  
  
Sam gasped at the sound, and found himself coughing on some dust he’d inhaled. The sounds echoing in the walls around them didn’t sound like a person’s footsteps, and were far too lightweight to be a human nearby. He couldn’t put an image to what the source was, and worry filled him at the thought of not knowing what was out there.  
  
“Wh-what is it?” Sam asked Oscar tremulously. His hand once again gripped the younger boy’s sleeve, seeking out security. The hilt of his knife brushed against his chest with the movement, reminding him that he may be small, but he had a way to defend himself if he needed it.  
  
Oscar blinked in surprise, finding that for once, he wasn't scared of something while Sam was. Usually, Oscar was the timid one, hovering close to the older boy for security. But in the walls, Oscar was the one who knew what was going on. As the quiet shuffling grew closer, Oscar smiled at Sam.  
  
"It's just a mouse," he said, looking back just in time for the rodent to cautiously pad her way into the small area lit from above. She had round, pink ears, brown fur, and whiskers that twitched curiously at the two children in her path.  
  
Oscar beamed. "It's Rita!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. At the sound of the name, the mouse stopped and let out a low squeak of recognition. Oscar turned to Sam and pointed at the waiting mouse eagerly. "She visits my house sometime. She's the friendliest mouse, and they're already _all_ friendly."  
  
“Th… they are?” Sam asked, curiosity starting to overcome his worry. He edged up behind Oscar, still keeping himself back a bit. All his life, he’d loved animals. Like dogs. His current size, though, seemed to make it impossible to him to ever get close to one safely. He was the size of a dog toy, or a treat.  
  
Sam squatted down, peering through the murk and squinting to make out the form of the friendly mouse. “H-hi Rita,” he called out to her, a hesitant smile overtaking his face.  
  
Rita's nose twitched rapidly as she took in the strange scents surrounding both of the boys. She squeaked quietly, curious about why they smelled so much like the rooms out in the open. The smaller humans didn't go out there much, as far as she knew. On pink paws, the mouse crept forward further, blinking dark eyes.  
  
Oscar grinned and walked right up to the mouse, holding out his hands for her to sniff. Her whiskers tickled his arms and he giggled before suddenly laying over Rita's back in the biggest hug he could give her. The mouse squeaked, finally recognizing him despite the new scents that clung to him.  
  
"I've known Rita for a long time," he said, looking over the mouse's head at Sam. "Since she was a pup! She's really soft." To demonstrate, Oscar ran his small hand over one of Rita's ears and the mouse paused, perking up on her hind legs to stand among them patiently. Oscar hugged her tighter, even burying his face in the soft fur at her side.  
  
“Wow,” Sam breathed in amazement as he saw the small animal letting Oscar hug her. There were no forthcoming attacks, only happy squeaks and two friends greeting each other. The round ears twitched at the sound of his voice. The mouse knew Oscar, but Sam was still an unknown kid.  
  
Sam inched his way towards the other two, holding out a hand just like he’d do with a puppy. “D-do you think she’ll let _me_ pet her?” he asked, full of wide-eyed wonder at the sight of the little brown mouse.  
  
Oscar finally let go of the mouse and she turned to nudge him with her twitching nose before settling down to clean her ears. Oscar nodded. "I bet she would. Rita even brings me food sometimes!"  
  
After rubbing at her ears, the mouse looked up and noticed Sam's slow, cautious approach. She leaned forward, her whiskers extended straight out as she examined the scents on the new kid. He had a few traces of the smells she knew around Oscar on him, but otherwise, he mostly smelled like the rooms. Rita squeaked curiously and inched forward until her nose was right in front of Sam's hand, her whiskers brushing his arms just like with Oscar.  
  
Sam couldn’t stop a giggle. “It tickles!” he said in an excited whisper. He kept his hand motionless in front of the twitching nose, letting her smell him. When the nose lightly bumped against his hand, Sam took that as permission. He reached over and stroked the fur over her right eye.  
  
“You’re so soft!” Sam told her, rubbing right behind the rounded ear. He let his hand drift down, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. His face was buried in the soft fur, and it hid the tears that crept up on him without warning. “I wish I could have a friend like you, but I don’t think my dad would let me,” he said honestly. “He never liked puppies when we saw them walking by.” He tightened his hug before pulling away.  
  
Rita patiently let Sam hug her, and when he pulled away she turned her head to nuzzle against his cheek. She'd seen Oscar cry before, too, and usually that cheered him up at least a little. She might not always understand _what_ made them upset, but she did have an idea of what helped them feel better.  
  
Oscar thought about puppies as he knew them. They were too big to be safe, and definitely too boisterous. To a dog, he and Sam were the size of tiny toys. But with Rita, they were safe.  
  
"I wanted Rita to come and live in our house when we first met her, but she had to go back with her mama and the other pups."  
  
Sam brushed away his tears and straightened. He rubbed an ear again, finding the motion just as soothing for him as it was for her. “Well, maybe when she’s older she can come stay with you,” Sam suggested, a part of him cringing inside at the thought of Oscar being alone again. The kid had spent an entire _year_ surviving on his own. No mother, no family, only a few mice to check up on him.  
  
At least until they’d come.  
  
Sam found himself musing on the thought of taking Oscar with them. Rita wouldn’t be able to come with him, though. They’d be taking him away from his friend.  
  
 _What should we do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little Rita makes an appearance at long last!
> 
> Next: A Storm to Remember, coming March 16th
> 
> Comments and reviews greatly appreciated! If you like the story, let us know! (or if you don't like it, we can take constructive criticism I promise)


	36. A Storm to Remember

Dean gave a contented sigh to himself from where he was stretched out on top of the bed.  
  
He tightened his grip on the pillow he was leaning on, relaxing as he enjoyed the end of the night. Time slipped away from all three kids in the motel room. Dean played the sentinel, watching over the younger children as they had fun down on the floor. He wouldn’t walk around so long as their games continued.  
  
“Don’t go where I can’t see you,” Dean cautioned his younger brother as Sam darted towards the edge of the bed.  
  
Sam waved gamely up at him with a huge grin, skidding to a halt only a few inches away. His small grey bag that Oscar had given him thudded against his back. Inside it was full of the supplies he’d begun to acquire, along with anything he found that was interesting. Oscar was teaching him what was useful and what wasn’t, important lessons to learn at their size.  
  
Without Oscar around, he wouldn’t even know how to climb his way off the ground if he got stuck down there.  
  
When Oscar got close, Sam giggled and dodged around him. “Can’t catch me!” he called in a light taunt.  
  
Oscar whirled, almost turning too far in his haste while one hand reached for Sam and closed on air. He scrambled after the older kid, a determination keeping him from stumbling right off his feet. "Yeah I can! I can try!" he answered, darting after Sam with a laugh. They were both full of energy from the game, and the simple running around kept a smile on Oscar's face.  
  
Before Sam and Dean showed up, Oscar didn't have the chance to play and run. Every moment was about survival and ensuring he wouldn't be hungry or too cold or in danger of being found. A kid his size had to work extra hard to make all that possible by himself. He never did find out what happened to his mom.  
  
After Sam showed him how to play tag, it was like a dam burst. Oscar could be a kid again, he could play games and have fun again, and not worry about time lost for looking for food. Even now, he had some food in his bag, stashed away from when Dean had made a sandwich and chips for them all to share.  
  
Oscar thought he might nearly be able to catch up to the older boy when there was a bright flash from the window, even with the curtains drawn closed. Oscar halted and whipped his curious gaze to the side, wondering what the source was.  
  
Bare seconds later, an earth-shaking _boom_ filled the air and seemed to shake Oscar to his core. His first instinct made him look across the room to his vent, where he got into the walls. He even took a step towards it before remembering himself. He turned a worried glance upwards where Dean lay on the bed.  
  
The flash of lightning was reflected in the green eyes. Worry shone in them as Dean glanced towards the window. The sunset had arched across the sky with scattered red clouds and a shock of the last rays, but now it was dark and foreboding outside. The roaring pattern of rain started up seconds after the rumble of thunder died down.  
  
A light flickered in the room, and that sealed Dean’s resolve. “C’mon guys, game’s over,” he muttered. He slipped off the edge of the bed, padding over to them on socked feet. He sank to the ground, holding his hand out. He didn’t want to risk them out in the room if the power went out. They were too small, and he was too big.  
  
Lightning flashed outside again, and Sam bounced to his feet in surprise. He ran towards Dean’s hand as the thunder rumbled again.  
  
The second rumble of thunder motivated Oscar to bound towards the offered hand, too. He nearly stumbled on the carpet threads, but he managed to keep his feet and run to Dean's outstretched fingers. He hopped up before the next flicker of all the lamps in the room.  
  
Oscar crouched down on Dean's palm, looking wide-eyed up at the human. "Th-the thunder's a lot louder out here than in the walls," he said. His gaze strayed to the window in time for a more subdued flash and an upswing in the rain. Oscar's hand found Sam's arm almost on reflex, anchoring himself to the other kid and knowing he wasn't by himself while the sky raged outside. "It's still loud in there, too, though," he added in a quieter voice.  
  
Dean lifted his hand away from the ground as the two kids huddled together. Before he went to stand, he cupped his hand against his chest, bringing up his second hand to shield them like he was protecting a flickering candle from the wind. Hidden from sight, another human would never know what Dean had cupped against his chest. Two tiny, fragile children that trusted him.  
  
He stood and made his way over to the bed that was farthest from the window. “You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Dean promised them while he moved. “You’ll be safe with me, I promise.”  
  
Sam and Oscar were close together inside of the cupped hands. Dean’s voice, compared to the thunder outside that could drown even him out, was a soft rumble. It was comforting to hear, and the warmth of his hands made them feel protected.  
  
Another clash of thunder sounded out, and Sam flinched into Oscar. “I-it’s a lot louder,” he chattered nervously. There hadn’t been any storms since he’d been cursed, and he didn’t like it.  
  
Oscar shuddered from the noise, but the dim cave that Dean formed against his chest with his hands helped. Oscar couldn't see the big, looming room beyond those curled fingers, and the flickering lights were easier to ignore. He preferred the closed in spaces, like in the walls.  
  
Dean's hands were a little better at times like this. They were warm, and Dean was a safe human. Oscar was afraid of Dean at first, but now that was such a distant thought.  
  
He squirmed around so that he was leaning closer to Dean's chest and he could see past the protective fingers. He stared up at Dean's face. “Can you feel it shaking everything? I always-” he paused to flinch at another prolonged, rolling rumble. Oscar flinched back so he was next to Sam again. “I always feel it shaking the walls!”  
  
“We can feel it shaking everything,” Dean confirmed in a hush as the lights flickered. He peered down to meet Oscar’s tiny gaze, and curled one of his fingers down to brush against the kid’s hair for reassurance. “Especially in a storm like this one.”  
  
Crawling into the bed with them safely cupped between his hands, Dean took refuge under the covers. An especially loud _boom_ made Sam squeak in surprise, and he held the hand even closer as the lights flickered, flickered…  
  
And went out.  
  
Dean let out a breath of surprise, glad he was in the bed with the kids close by. They were much too small to have wandering around in a storm like this. He lowered his hand to the surface of the bed, the cover over his head like a tent. He cracked open the hands enough to give them space, and tried to peer inside in the dim light that drifted through the windows from the streetlights.  
  
“You two okay?” Dean asked in a hush.  
  
Oscar was huddled close to Sam, his eyes wide and the pupils dilated. He could see decently well in the cloth tent Dean had made out of the blanket, but he had a feeling Sam and Dean couldn't see quite as well. He crawled towards the opening Dean left between his hands to poke his head out.  
  
"I'm okay," he confirmed, looking around. He ducked back into the safety of the hands, looking to Sam. "Dean made a blanket house," he announced, a slight grin in his voice. Another low rumble of thunder outside made him chuckle nervously, but thankfully the storm was a little muffled by the blanket over Dean's head.  
  
Dean grinned back at that. He didn’t move his hands from where they were protectively curled around the kids, but he did rest his head on the covers so he was as close to their level as he could get.   
  
He could only make out dim shapes within the cave his hands made, but his experience with them over the last few weeks had him comfortable with what it felt like to have two kids goofing off in there. The light tickles could be easy to mistake for a rodent for any other human, but for Dean it was a beacon yelling out that his baby brother was there and depending on him.  
  
“This is nothing,” Dean said with a grin. “Did dad ever tell you about that one time he was camping with Bobby?” If anything else, stories would help pass the time while they waited for the storm to pass them by.  
  
Sam crawled forward so he was peeking out of the cave, the breeze caused by Dean’s words passing him by. He laid down with his head resting on his crossed arms. “Dad never told me any stories with Bobby,” he said wistfully.  
  
“Well, they both had their own tents, and they were looking for some Wendigo up in Minnesota,” Dean started. “A big storm found them, and when it hit, dad’s tent got blown over on him. Bobby had to come untangle him from the fabric and drag him into the other tent.” He let out a laugh, remembering the look on John’s face when _that_ story came out. “He never lets dad live it down.”  
  
Oscar giggled, trying to imagine a big human tangled up in something like that. It was hard to believe they could get stuck, too, when so much of everything was designed for them. While Oscar could get caught under the blanket that Dean propped up with his head, or even stuck in a _spiderweb_ , a human was strong.  
  
He crawled forward like Sam, wriggling into place so he lay under the protective hands arched over them. He propped himself up on his elbows and hummed thoughtfully.  
  
"One time my mom came back from checking some rooms and she said there was a big puddle by the window of one of 'em, 'cause somebody broke it in the corner and it rained," he said, offering up a story of his own. "Her shoes got wet!"  
  
Oscar took a chance and leaned forward, partially out from under the cover of Dean's hands, to look up at the blanket overhead. Another flash of lightning made him flinch, but he still smiled up at Dean. "Don't let _our_ tent fall on us!" he warned.  
  
“I don’t think you have to worry about it,” Dean said wryly. He lightly brushed the dark forms he could make out with a finger, nudging them enough to rock them in place. Sam squirmed away with a laugh, batting his finger aside with a miniscule hand. “The only way this tent is falling far enough to cover _you_ up is if I’m not in it.”  
  
He wasn’t kidding. If he lay as flat as he could go, the cover would still make a tent that arched over their heads. Neither kid stood over three inches tall. Thunder rumbled outside, and Dean couldn’t stop himself from curling his hands a little closer at the reminder.  
  
They were both under three inches tall, making them small and vulnerable to a storm like the one that raged outside. His protective side was as strong as ever. He’d keep them safe, just like he was supposed to.  
  
“I used to hide under the covers like this during storms when we were at Bobby’s,” Sam confided to the others. “It felt safer there, especially when Dean was in the room.”  
  
Oscar squirmed back so he was tucked under Dean's hands more securely again, and settled his head on his crossed arms. Even with the storm raging and the lightning sometimes filling the room with white light for less than a second at a time, he felt a lot safer than he normally would in a storm. He had someone protecting him from it, something he hadn't had in a while.  
  
"I hide under all my blankets, too," he admitted. "It gets real dark and stuffy but I like the warm anyway. And it keeps dust from falling on my head." Oscar remembered more than one occurrence of crawling out from under his blankets after a storm to find several pieces of dust had crumbled down from his makeshift ceiling onto his bed. He always had to sweep after a storm, but it was better than water getting in.  
  
"I like that my house is right in the middle of the motel so it's not too close to where the thunder's loud. Storms are scary 'cause they even make _humans_ nervous."  
  
“Everybody gets scared of thunderstorms,” Dean told Oscar. “Doesn’t matter _how_ big. We’re not as different as you think.” He nudged his finger under one of Sam’s arms until the tiny hand was splayed out atop his fingertip. “It's just a little size difference, that’s all.”  
  
Sam laughed at that as his hand was hoisted up a tiny bit on the finger. He stretched out his fingers, trying to cover Dean’s entire fingertip with his one hand. The skin was textured and ridged, but warm.  
  
“You try!” Sam said with a laugh, pushing the awkwardly positioned finger towards his friend.  
  
Oscar pushed himself up in surprise, staring at the way Sam's hand stretched as far as it could only to still fall short. He mused about Dean's words, too, about it all just being _a little size difference._ He'd never considered the similarities between humans and whatever his people were supposed to be. With Sam shrunk right next to him, though, it suddenly became a little more obvious.  
  
"Okay," he answered, shifting so he could place one tiny hand on Dean's fingertip. His fingers could almost sink into the ridges and whorls of Dean's fingerprint, and Oscar brushed his thumb over the strange texture curiously.  
  
"I always wondered why humans got to be so big," he admitted quietly, unable to resist placing his other hand on the fingertip, too. He still couldn't hope to cover it.  
  
“I dunno,” Sam said. He put both his hands on the fingertip with Oscar, and together the two of them managed to cover it.  
  
Dean let out a small laugh of amazement. He could just make out the tiny hands sitting on his finger in the dim light that made it into the motel room. He curled his thumb around so it very, very lightly covered up the four hands placed trustingly on his finger. Even with them pinched between his fingers, he could barely make out the feeling of tiny fingers.  
  
“Maybe your people used to be friends with humans,” Dean mused thoughtfully. “We have all kinds of stories about little people. Maybe we’re big _because_ you’re small, only we used to work together. You both can do things I _can’t_ , after all.”  
  
Oscar beamed. He didn't even mind having his hands disappear between two fingertips. He was too excited over hearing a _human_ compliment the things he could do. "L-like climb really high and hide in the really little spaces," he supplied. Dean might be able to grab him and Sam up in a hand at any time, but there were things they could do, too.  
  
"And we can tell when someone's walking around, too," he added, remembering many times he'd felt the rumbling in the ground to know that a human was walking in a room nearby. "I wish my people were _still_ friends with humans," he decided with a nod. "This is a lot better than being afraid."  
  
“It is!” Sam declared. He wiggled his fingers where they were pinched in Dean’s. The thick skin of the big thumb and big index finger only had a little give in it, but he _could_ move it.  
  
Dean opened up his fingers to release the four tiny hands. “We’ll just have to make sure _we’re_ always friends,” he determined. “A little thing like size won’t get in our way.” He curled his hand back around them as thunder rang out.  
  
Oscar flinched, ducking back into the protective shadow of Dean's hand. He was still smiling softly, despite his nerves. It was hard not to, when he was feeling so warm and safe and _happy,_ so much more than he had in a long time. His hands were completely unharmed even after being held between two fingers bigger than his whole _body,_ and that should surprise him, but it didn't. Because like Dean said, they'd make sure size wouldn't get in the way.  
  
"Yeah, always friends," he agreed, settling in with Sam in the hand cave Dean provided for them. The big, daunting world didn't seem so huge with his friends there with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Just a little size difference..._
> 
> Next: Snow Day 1, coming March 21st
> 
> Story wraps up March 30th, prepare yourselves.


	37. Snow Day 1

Throughout the night, Oscar had curled into a tighter and tighter ball in his pile of blankets. It got colder than he expected, but luckily he had plenty of blankets to insulate him while he slept. Even with the chill trying to invade his small home in the walls, Oscar was content. Even before he went to bed, he was looking forward to the following afternoon, when his friends would be back from school.  
  
Of course, a voice chattering excitedly and someone bouncing onto the top of his blanket mountain was the last thing he expected. Oscar blinked his eyes open, fluttering eyelids in time for the layers of blankets to be peeled away while whoever it was kept talking to him.  
  
Oscar found himself with two eager hands around his arm, tugging him out of bed and out of sleepiness. With his free hand, he rubbed his eyes to wake up a little faster.  
  
“Sam?” he slurred. “It isn’t Sat … Saturday again yet, right?” he asked, a yawn cutting his question off in the middle.  
  
“Nope!” Sam said excitedly as bounced to his feet. “It’s even _better!_ ”  
  
While Oscar was waking up, Sam excitedly moved around the room, unable to contain himself. His grey cloth bag from Oscar was slung over his shoulders, and it bumped against his side while he moved. A steady stream of words passed his lips with no way of knowing how much actually sank into Oscar’s mind in his sleepy haze.  
  
“You’ll have to get something to cover up your hands, and maybe some extra shirts,” Sam prattled happily on, “I even have the extra dollhouse shirts that Dean got me on so I keep warm. And nice and warm feet, can’t let them get cold or we’ll have to come in early. I mean, how many times do we get a _snow day_ this early on in the year?!” His eyes shone with his excitement.  
  
Oscar sat up in his nest of blankets, his arms over his lap, and blinked slowly at Sam while he explained. His brain slowly caught up, and he even realized what Sam was implying, even if he wasn't sure yet why the fact that it snowed kept the humans home from school. A "snow day" was just a day that it snowed, right?  
  
"We're gonna go outside?" he asked, sleep still coloring his voice. Oscar yawned again and shuffled out of bed, unsure about the whole plan. It'd be so _cold_ out there. But Sam looked excited, so Oscar thought he could put his hesitation aside for the time being.  
  
His bedroom was reserved mostly for the pile of blankets that was his bed. There wasn't room for much more, but he did have another neat little pile in the corner of his spare clothes. Oscar sat down with a _whuff_ next to it and dragged a spare shirt over his head, yawning once more for good measure. "Is it a good idea to go outside? Why isn't there school when it snows?"  
  
“Because!” Sam finally came to a halt, bouncing to a stop on the mountain of blankets now that Oscar was out of them. He sat there with his legs folded under him and a grin a mile wide. “Grownups don’t like to drive in the snow and the school buses can’t go get the kids, so if there’s enough snow, we get the day off! Dean had to sit around and watch the tv to see if our school came up, and it did!”  
  
He held out his arms, showing off the multiple layers he was already wearing. He’d been too excited to wait, which was turning out to not be the _best_ plan, because he was _really_ warm now. Hopefully that meant he’d be able to stay out longer in the snow.  
  
“The snow’s great,” Sam rambled on. “We can make snow angels and snowmen and go _sledding_ down a hill! Dean said we don’t even have to go find a big hill, he can make one for us!”  
  
Oscar's eyes were a little wide as he processed Sam's list. He'd only ever heard of such things in passing, and some of it he hadn't heard of at all. Playing in the cold outdoors was doubly dangerous normally. But with his friends around, he wondered if he'd be alright.  
  
"Okay, I wanna try," he decided with a nod, getting to his feet to try to work a spare pair of pants over the ones he already wore. Sam had several layers on, and Oscar knew that was a good idea even if it was cumbersome. He also wrapped up a second pair of cloth shoes over his feet, knowing they were most likely to get cold.  
  
When he was all layered up, Oscar stared at his hands for a moment. Then, without explanation, he hurried out of his bedroom and ducked into the side room where he stored extra supplies. He returned with several strips of thicker fabric and held some out to Sam. "We should wrap our hands up," he explained, a little more awake now even if the thought of going out in the cold was still a bit nervewracking. "Gotta keep 'em warm."  
  
Sam took the offered strips of fabric. “Good idea!” He watched as Oscar started to wrap his hands up. Sam’s attempt was clumsy compared to Oscar’s easy motions. It took skill to get it to wrap around his hand, fingers and wrist without leaving openings between the strips.  
  
Gritting his teeth in determination, he took it slow as he coiled the fabric around his arm. “Dean has gloves,” he told Oscar while he worked. “They keep his hands warm. We couldn’t find anything close to my size, though. We’d _fit_ in his gloves!” Sam giggled at the thought and kept it in mind as he continued to wrap his arm. The gloves Dean wore were more than big enough for both kids to be able to snuggle up in. They could even substitute as a big sleeping bag if they wanted to.  
  
Oscar grinned. He believed it without question; after all, Dean's fingers were bigger than either of the kids. They'd fit without any issue at all. "Maybe we should hide in 'em if we get _too_ cold," he mused, giggling at the idea himself.  
  
Once his hands were wrapped up as snugly as he could make them, Oscar opened and closed his hands to make sure they wouldn't unravel his work. He didn't usually cover his fingers, but for going out in the cold, he had opted to make himself mittens out of the strips of fabric. His fingers could freeze right off if he wasn't careful.  
  
"Did you play in the snow a lot, before?" Oscar asked, searching around for his bag before he found it and put it over his shoulder. He wasn't sure if he'd need it, but all the same he'd rather have it anyway. He hesitated by the door, wondering if it really was a good idea to go. He was dressed as warmly as he could, but if it was still too cold, Oscar wouldn't want to keep his friends from their fun.  
  
Sam grabbed his own stuff from where he’d left it in the main room and followed Oscar to the entrance, ready to leave. “You bet!” he said brightly. There wasn’t much that would derail his excitement over the chance to go play in the snow. Especially since at their size, a little mound of snow could become a mountain to sled down. “Not too often, there’s a lot of states that dad would drive through that didn’t get as much snow.”  
  
He almost had stars in his eyes. “But when we did end up in a state with snow, we’d go outside as much as possible! We’d go find a hill to sled down, and have snowball fights. I’d never want to miss it, and you _definitely_ don’t want to miss it!”  
  
Oscar thought about it while he slowly pushed his door aside to head out. Sam's enthusiasm was slowly catching on. He let Sam step out of his home before sealing it up behind them as much as he could, to keep bugs from trying to crawl in and take his food while he was away. Now that he actually _had_ food, that was an actual concern.  
  
"I hear the humans talking about playing in the snow all the time," he admitted as they headed along the route back to Sam and Dean's room. "I just never thought I could do it 'cause it's so cold and heavy. Mom always said I shouldn't go outside for anything." Of course, Oscar had already broken that rule before, but this seemed different.  
  
Sam thought about that as he stuck close to Oscar. Inside the walls, he knew enough to find his way to Oscar’s and back, but he still couldn’t see well. The younger kid had better nightvision than either brother, and unerringly lead them in the right direction, aided by his intimate knowledge of the interior of the motel walls.   
  
“Maybe a better rule is you shouldn’t go out there on your own,” Sam suggested. Nothing bad happened when they had Dean with them, after all. “There’s _really_ big animals out there. Plus it’s dangerous if you get lost, especially in the winter. It gets _really_ cold. Good thing we have Dean to help us out!”  
  
Oscar nodded emphatically. "Yeah," he said, a little wide eyed to think about going outside in the cold by _himself._ He knew about the big animals too. Humans notwithstanding, there were dogs and cats and maybe even worse out there. "Dean can scare off the animals if they wanna get too close," he affirmed, for his own benefit. They were getting closer and closer to the vent that led into the room where Dean waited.  
  
"Will you show me how to make a snowman?" he asked, the thought popping into his head. His childlike wonder at the idea helped to push aside some of his worries. Oscar had seen brief glimpses of snowmen on TV and in pictures. He never imagined being able to make one himself.  
  
“You bet!” Sam declared. “We’ll make it _big._ ” He stretched out his arms as far as they’d go. Even though his arm length was under three inches, it got his point across perfectly.  
  
Plus, he could always get Dean to help them roll the snowballs if they really needed it.  
  
Not that he planned on that. He always wanted to prove he could things himself, and here he’d be able to show Oscar new things he’d never dreamed about. _Fun_ things, where they wouldn’t have to be afraid.  
  
The vent came into view and Sam burst into a jog, eager to get back into the room and get going. He’d been excited for the snow ever since waking up to Dean watching the weather channel with its continuously rolling list of school names.  
  
Oscar gasped and broke into a run to keep up with his friend, surprised by the sudden surge forward. In no time at all, they were at the slats of the vent that opened into the motel room. Oscar's most used entrance, it had plenty of space for the pair of them to squeeze through and land on the carpet.  
  
Usually, Oscar was much more cautious about entering the rooms like this. He had to watch and listen for several minutes before he was _certain_ there were no dangers on the other side. He'd had good practice with the patience that required. His life usually depended on it, after all.  
  
Here, he knew he was safe. This room was Sam and Dean's, after all. They were his friends and they would look out for him. He wished they never had to leave.  
  
Oscar managed to avoid stepping on the salt line right next to the vent and look up with a hopeful smile. He waved a well-wrapped hand at the huge human waiting for them. "Hi, Dean! Sam said it's a snow day!"  
  
“Hey, Oz,” Dean greeted with a grin, Oscar’s nickname at the ready as always. He knelt down on the floor near where they were standing so he didn’t loom over the pair, or at least didn’t _completely_ loom over the pair. Attempts to not loom tended to be a lost cause with Sam and his best friend.  
  
Dean scanned the two kids over, taking note of the extra clothing Oscar had on, and the wrapped hands. “I see Sam warned you about the cold,” he said. He held up his own hands, in gloves of their own. “But you two better let me know if you get too cold.”  
  
“ _Duh,_ ” Sam said with a roll of his eyes. He barely waited for Dean to lower his hand down before he scrambled onto the gloved hand. The thick fabric was coarse for the younger kids, and through it, Dean could only make out an impression of Sam’s weight against his hand. Sam grabbed onto his thumb to stay steady on the surface.  
  
Oscar stepped onto Dean's hand more cautiously, staring down at the material of the glove as he did so. He didn't want to trip on a seam or a fold and fall off, and it was probably better to take to an unfamiliar surface slowly anyway. He ended up sitting down on Dean's palm as soon as he got to it, brushing his mittened hands over the worn glove.  
  
"I'll try not to get _too_ cold," he promised. He wanted to be able to try out playing in the snow for as long as he could before they needed to come back inside. Even knowing that his skinny frame meant he'd probably be the first one to get cold at all, Oscar was excited. "I gotta make a snowman first."  
  
“Can’t have you missing that,” Dean agreed. He stood back up with the kids in hand and tucked them close to his chest. With his other hand he grabbed his room key and tucked it into his jacket. “Okay guys, just hang on. We’ll be there soon.”  
  
Sam and Oscar found themselves held just inside Dean’s jacket instead of being placed in a pocket for the trip. There was no one around to see the two small children he held in a hand.  
  
The wintery world outside was pristine. Snow continued to fall, fat snowflakes that perched in Dean’s hair or melted when they touched his face. His breath fogged the air around him as he squinted his eyes in the white world around them. Only a few cars dotted the desolate landscape at the motel, and a plow could be heard working away in the distance.  
  
Falling snow obscured the world past the parking lot, so Dean started his trek for a small copse of trees nearby. The chill in the air kept any desire to head for the park down. If the kids got cold, it would be too far for him to walk back. This would be better.  
  
Oscar squinted and let out the faintest noise of surprise. The snow was _bright._ His eyes, so adjusted to the dark of the walls of the motel, stung at first, and his pupils nearly disappeared. And that was even with Dean partially obscuring them in his jacket. Occasionally the glare off of a car somewhere would bounce across the narrow field of vision.  
  
Next, he noticed the chill. Oscar felt it on his face and ears, and he had to bunch up his shoulders to keep a breeze from getting to his neck and slipping past his collar. He shuddered once, but was too excited to think about turning back now. He saw glimpses past Dean's jacket and grew more and more intrigued with each massive step. It helped get rid of his nerves, though the occasional shiver from the cold was unavoidable.  
  
"Sam, look!" he hissed, pointing above them at the very edge of Dean's jacket zipper. A snowflake, or rather a fat bunch of fluffy snowflakes, had stuck to the garment and was already beginning to melt on it. Oscar watched it in awe. "It's _real snow..._ " he said, in a voice that made it clear how amazed he really was. Oscar never expected to see anything more than a picture of the stuff.  
  
Sam’s hazel eyes were wide at the sight. “Whoa!” he exclaimed, just as softly. Being out of the motel room meant he had to make sure he was quiet, in case Dean passed by any other people. The sight of the crystalline snowflake, even as it melted, amazed him. Compared to the fluffy white powder he was used to, he could now make out the elegant etchings on them if he paid close enough attention.  
  
And then it melted away, warmed by Dean’s body heat and turned into a single drop of water.  
  
Sam watched as it was knocked off the edge of the zipper and fell to the ground below. “There’s going to be _lot’s_ more like that!” he promised Oscar with eyes just as wide. “And I heard that no two snowflakes are ever alike so maybe we can see how different they are! When I was taller they just looked like little white balls unless you look really really close, and it’s too easy to melt them if you try.”  
  
Oscar's thoughts went to how many of those snowflakes there had to be to cover the world in white like they had. If every one really was different, he'd be impressed. "Maybe we can catch one right when it falls!" he suggested. He looked down at his hands, making sure they were completely covered and that his improvised mittens wouldn't unravel. Even a snowflake could be cold on his fingers if he wasn't careful.  
  
He shifted around on Dean's hand, inching a little closer to the wrist. He didn't bring himself _too_ close to the edge, knowing he could easily fall if he was jarred just a little. But he was eager to see more.  
  
"I bet the snow is taller than we are," he mused, looking back at Sam. It wouldn't take that much snow for that. "Do you think we'll sink in it?"  
  
“Probably,” Sam said. “But it’s okay! If we do, Dean can get us out. And if it’s that deep, maybe we can build a snow fort. We can throw snowballs at Dean from there!” He had a big grin on his face at the thought, remembering how fun snowball fights could be.  
  
Hopefully Dean wouldn’t toss a snowball of his own back at them. It would be the size of their fort!  
  
“Watch yourselves down there,” Dean murmured from above as he cupped his hand more. He could feel them moving around, but couldn’t see them. The copse of trees was only a few steps away, and he stepped over the divider from the parking lot. “Here, let me take those bags. Gotta keep them dry, after all.”  
  
Oscar looked up in surprise, and then down at the bag hanging at his side. The cloth would probably soak up any melted snow and get his climbing thread within all wet. It'd be next to useless to him then. Not to mention his stashed breadcrumbs would become a soggy mess. "Okay," he acquiesced, lifting the strap over his shoulder and holding up the bag for Dean to take.  
  
Dean lightly pinched Oscar’s bag, and let Sam toss his own bag into his hand. “They’ll be safe in my pocket, don’t you worry.” He tucked his hand into his jacket, letting the little bags slip down to the bottom. The pocket was deep enough that there was no danger of them falling out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new world to explore for the bittiest kiddos around!
> 
> XD Also, it is useless to resist Sam when he is on a mission in the morning. Better just give in and wake up.
> 
> Next: Snow Day 2, coming March 23rd
> 
> Story wraps up March 30th, prepare yourselves.


	38. Snow Day 2

The motel was lost in the white haze of snow behind them, but they were no more than five minutes from their room. Dean knelt down on the drifting snow, slowly taking his hand out from his jacket. “Hope you’re ready for fun,” he chuckled as he lowered his hand down.  
  
Oscar barely heard the words. He was busy staring up in wonder at the tree branches so high above them. Other than the snow flurrying through the air on a gentle breeze, the whole world seemed still. The air was silent, muffled by the fluffy white snow that blanketed every surface and made the branches bare of leaves seem like harsh lines drawn against the white sky.  
  
He didn't even leave Dean's hand right away, he was so awestruck. Oscar took a step forward, and another, his hands held out in front of himself, trying to see if one of the snowflakes would land on his mittens.  
  
"Woah!" he blurted, when the end of Dean's hand came before he expected. Oscar stumbled off and into the snow, sinking to his knees before the packed snow held up his tiny weight. His eyes were finally drawn away from the sky as he looked all around himself.  
  
Sam followed him off, jumping into a pile of snow. “Oof!” He fell further into the snow than Oscar, the white ground coming up to his waist. Squirming, he tried to dig his way out of the fluffy ground, but didn’t make much progress until Dean pinched him by the waist and hauled him up.  
  
Legs kicking, Sam got put down an inch from Oscar. He laughed as he hit the ground, sinking in to his ankles. “This is great!” He didn’t pay much attention to the cold, too excited to be out there at last.  
  
With the two kids safely on the ground, Dean sat back. He peered around the white expanse to make sure there was no one nearby. It was almost as though they were in their own world. Even the sound from the street had cut out, dampened by the flurries.  
  
Sam let himself fall on his back and kicked out his legs and flapped his arms. “See, Oscar? Snow angels!”  
  
Oscar beamed at Sam's antics, watching the shape forming in the snow around the other boy before his eyes. He tried to inch closer to watch, but found himself having a hard time with the snow, too. He couldn't pick his feet up all the way out of it, which made wading through it difficult.  
  
Eventually, he dropped forward and sank to his elbows in the snow, gasping from the cold. His breath fogged in front of him and he found himself staring down at what had to be hundreds of thousands of little ice crystals before he squirmed enough to stand upright again.  
  
It was like they'd left earth behind. Oscar had hardly ever been outside with the brothers before. "There's so much snow! No wonder it's a snow day. Snow night, snow week, even," he mused with a giggle before struggling to a patch of clear snow so he could flop onto it and make his own snow angel.  
  
“Hopefully,” Dean chimed in from above. He watched the two kids making their snow angels. _Snow fairies._ He grinned at the thought, but didn’t say anything to Sam. He’d get the tiniest glare if he did.  
  
It wasn’t _his_ fault they looked more like tiny fairies in the snow.  
  
“The longer the snow goes, the longer we’re out of school,” he mused to himself. He hadn’t waited to see the report on the TV for how long the storm would last, only watching to see if their school was cancelled.  
  
While they had fun down on the ground, Dean started to push the snow near him into a mound. It was a thick, fluffy snow, the best kind for making snowballs and snowmen out of and it stuck together when he moved it.  
  
Sam sat up, looking at his and Oscar’s snow angels. “This is great! And if the storm keeps going, we might get so much snow that even _Dean_ has trouble walking through it! One year there was a snowstorm that left like three whole feet of snow. Dad couldn’t even reach the Impala!”  
  
Oscar paused and struggled to sit himself up, his eyes a little glazed over at the thought of three feet of snow. The weight of that much snow would be unreal. Oscar hoped they didn't see _that_ much. If something was too tough for even Dean, it'd be impossible for him and Sam.  
  
"If it snowed that high I'd wanna stay inside," he said with a decisive nod. It'd be too much cold, too much snow, and too heavy. The world around them was muffled now. He could imagine it all standing still. "I'd hide under all my blankets and stay warm."  
  
He squirmed a little to push himself to a stand, trying not to destroy the snow angel shape he'd worked on. He almost made it, but once again had to wade through the snow he'd already churned up. Oscar watched his feet while he did so, pushing down on the fluffy snow experimentally and packing it closer. With his tongue sticking out for concentration, he managed to climb out of the rut he'd carved into the snow and walk atop it, light steps preventing him from sinking as far.  
  
With that done, Oscar brushed his hands together to shake snow off of them before it melted and got to his hands. "Dean, what're you makin?’ " he asked curiously, watching the human push a massive pile of snow around in front of himself. Oscar pointed at it with a mitten-covered hand. "That's bigger than my house!"  
  
Dean gave both kids a huge grin. “Sam said he wanted to sled, right?” he reminded them both. “Since I think the hills around here are too big for you two to go down, I figured I’d just make you one myself.” He gestured grandly at the mound of snow, then used his gloves to make a trench down the ‘hill’ for them. The best thing about having two kids smaller than his fingers in the snow was he wouldn’t even have to drag the sled back up the hill for them when it was all over. He could just pick them and the sled up at once.  
  
Sam struggled to get himself out of his snow angel, slightly wide-eyed at the sight. “What are we gonna use for a sled?” he asked curiously, realizing he never thought past the excitement for the day.  
  
“Don’t worry, I gotcha,” Dean smirked. He dug around in one of his pockets, pulling out a plastic cup.  
  
Or rather, _part_ of a plastic cup.  
  
He’d cut away most of it, making it into a sled-shaped hunk of clear plastic. The bottom of the cup formed the front of the sled, giving them a place to prop their feet up while they went down, and the sides rose up on either side to keep them from falling out.  
  
Oscar eyed the sled keenly, recognizing the plastic cup from the ones always provided with the motel's coffee machines. It'd be enough for Sam and Oscar both to sit down in with room to spare, and the edges looked like they'd be more than high enough to prevent them from tumbling out.  
  
He took a few cautious steps forward, careful to avoid sinking into the snow too far again. Shudders from the cold were ignored as he approached, sizing up the hill Dean had made and the sled he'd improvised. It looked like it'd be a long way to slide down, and yet it didn't come close to matching Dean's height.  
  
Oscar reached the base of the snow pile before he turned to look back at Sam. His expression was a mix of excitement and caution and he asked "It's not scary?" Oscar knew they had Dean looking out for them, so he wasn't _really_ too worried. All the same, his timid nature demanded he at least mentally prepare himself for it.  
  
“Nope!” Sam declared, running towards the ‘hill’ to join his friend and have a go at sledding. “Not scary at all!”  
  
Three steps in, he tripped and ended up falling on his face.  
  
Sam pushed himself back up with a gasp, blinking and rubbing off the snow that stuck in his hair. The soft crystals started to melt when they came in contact with his skin.   
  
Dean leaned over, a slight shadow falling over where Sam was sprawled out. He plucked his little brother off of the ground, eyebrows furrowing as he squinted to see if the younger kid was okay. Sam instantly squirmed, trying to get down so he could go join Oscar. “Quit it!” his soft voice drifted up to Dean.  
  
With a snort, Dean plopped Sam down in the plastic cup. “Better watch yourself, pint-size,” he cautioned as he lowered the cup down. “That snow’s pretty deep.”  
  
Sam stuck his tongue out at Dean. He was quickly distracted when he saw that the hand was down on the snow next to Oscar. Shuffling back, he made room for the younger kid to sit in front. “C’mon, Oscar!” he called out excitedly.  
  
Oscar smiled, perking up despite the chill that nearly made him shrink into himself and curl up. The excitement soon won out and he scrambled towards Dean's hand, tiny cloth shoes stirring up the snow as he did so. He brushed a half-melted clump of snow from his arm. At least it hadn't soaked him completely.  
  
He stuck his tongue out for concentration as he reached the sled and swung one leg over the edge, then the other. After some adjusting, he wound up sitting in front of Sam, with both of their feet propped against the front of the sled Dean had made. Oscar's knees were bent slightly and he braced his wrapped up hands on the edge of the cup.  
  
There was a grin on his face even as his breath fogged in front of him. Nothing had even happened yet and Oscar was already entertained. "Okay, let's go!" he said, looking over his shoulder to glance at Sam before looking up at Dean.  
  
Sam laughed. As Dean’s hand lifted in the air again, Sam wrapped one arm around Oscar to hold the smaller kid in place on his lap. The little hill Dean had made for them came into view, and then the teenager’s other hand shadowed the cup with the two kids inside.  
  
When Dean gripped the sides of the cup, it was like Sam and Oscar were in a tunnel, the top of Dean’s palm arching over their heads. The other hand dropped away, replaced by the snowy hillside. The hand let go, and Sam grabbed onto the edge of the cup with his free hand, smiling with excitement.  
  
“Ready…” Dean said, his hand touching against the back of the cup. “Set…”  
  
It felt like time stretched on until he finally announced “Go!” and nudged the cup so it slipped into the furrow Dean had created for it.  
  
Oscar took a deep breath and held it as the cup edged forward. At first, it was a slow slide, and the anticipation drew out for a second or two longer. Then, he let out his breath in a laugh as the makeshift sled lurched forward and began the real downward slide. Oscar pressed his feet into the front of the sled to brace himself and leaned into Sam a little.  
  
The next few seconds drew out as the exhilaration set in, tingling in Oscar's every nerve. His stomach clenched and his eyes were wide as they raced down the trench Dean had made, the world speeding by around them. The cold wind bit at Oscar's face and he squinted, but he still grinned ear to ear. It was _fun._  
  
"Woah!" he yelped when they reached the bottom, one of his hands leaving the edge of the sled to clutch at Sam's arm around him. Puffs of fluffy snow sprayed up around them and landed on their heads.  
  
Oscar shook his head to rid it of snowflakes before twisting around to beam up at Sam. "That ... I didn't ... wow!" he stammered out, blinking rapidly.  
  
Sam beamed right back, just as thrilled. Getting a ride from Dean on some days could be more like a rollercoaster ride with the speeds the teenager could move at, but this was different. It was closer to the way things were _supposed_ to be. Sledding down a hill, just like kids did in the snow.  
  
Twisting around in his seat, Sam tried to catch a glimpse of Dean around the mound of snow. “Let’s go again!” he called out hopefully.  
  
Dean peered around, shifting his seat so he could see the bottom of the hill. “Man, carrying you two _all_ the way up the hill will take _so_ much work,” he joked gamely as he reached over and picked up the cup again. Sam tightened his arm around Oscar as they became airborne once more, able to see the ground drop below them through the clear bottom of the cup.  
  
It definitely wouldn’t be a way for Dean to travel.  
  
The two kids giggled as the cup came to a halt at the top of the hill. Once more, Dean nudged them over the edge and they picked up speed quickly. Sam let out a bright laugh as the little makeshift sled came to a stop at the bottom, his eyes wide. “This is great!”  
  
Oscar squirmed a little to sit himself up a little straighter after the second run down the hill. He kicked at the snow that had fallen into the sled, shoving it back out so it wouldn't soak into their pant legs. "I never had so much fun before!" he said in agreement.  
  
He leaned around Sam, one arm still clutching the one holding him secure, to look back up their sledding hill. He could see the track they'd left with their sled, a semicircle of slightly packed snow in the side of a mountain. Oscar was willing to bet he'd tumble right back down if he tried to run up that track.  
  
"Maybe one more time? Then we can make snowmen!"  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me,” Dean agreed, reaching for them one last time. The little sled fit snug into his hand, and he quickly had them back up at the top of the hill.   
  
With a little nudge, the kids were sent down the slope for the last time, and this time Sam had one hand up in the air like he was on a mini-rollercoaster, and his other arm secured around the younger kid like a seatbelt. Since the track for the sled was getting worn in the shape of the sled, the last trip was the fastest, sending them into a small pile of snow that had gathered at the bottom. A tiny bit of snow flew up in the air, getting stuck in Sam and Oscar’s hair.  
  
Sam brushed off his hair, releasing Oscar from his tight hold with the sledding over. He peered over his shoulder, at the sledding hill and his older brother. With the rest of the world in a white out, it was easy to pretend that Dean was a giant, and they were normal-sized.  
  
“Thanks Dean!” he called up as he came to an unsteady stand on the circular sled. He offered to help Oscar climb out of the sled, since it was hard to stay on their feet.  
  
Oscar took Sam's hands, his mouth twisted into a frown of concentration as he stood in the curved bottom of their sled. His shoes were slick from the snow that had sprayed up, and the fluffy white flakes still stuck to his mussed up hair. Some of it shook off when he nearly slipped in the sled.  
  
"Oops," he muttered, getting his legs over the side one at a time. His outer layer of shoes was starting to soak through, and his feet were definitely feeling the chill. At least his middle was warm from all the running around and laughing. He flexed his mittened hands a few times to circulate some of that warmth to them.  
  
Oscar had never realized he could enjoy himself while _cold._ It was a stark difference to the freezing nights alone in the motel, wishing the heat would reach his home.  
  
"That was a lot of fun," he announced, grinning at both Sam and Dean. He stumbled towards the front of the sled to check out the small pile of snow it had pushed up as it sped down the hill. "Your sled worked really good, Dean!"  
  
“As long as you two had fun,” Dean said to him. He picked up the sled and tucked it into the opposite pocket from where the small supply bags were kept, just in case they wanted to sled again later on.  
  
Sam followed Oscar, his boots doing a slightly better job at keeping his feet dry in the snow than Oscar’s fabric wraps. He slid to his knees and started to gather up some snow to push around, just like he’d been shown as a kid. “Okay,” he said seriously, but with a big grin on his face. “Now if you want to make a snowman, you gotta make the biggest ball of snow that you can. Like this.”  
  
Placing the ball of snow on the ground, Sam started to roll it in front of him, that way it gathered up snow as it went and started to increase in size.  
  
Oscar watched Sam roll the ball of snow around, biting his lip absently while he did. His mouth opened in an 'O' of understanding as the snowball grew before his eyes, picking up other snow as it rolled and packing it tight. "I got it," he affirmed with a nod, before looking to the snow at his feet.  
  
He clapped his mittens together to knock droplets of melted snow off of them before stooping to gather his own ball. It took him a couple tries to get a snowball started. When he did, it was lumpy and lopsided at first, but it didn't stop him from trying to roll it around and pack more snow on.  
  
When the snowball was nearly an inch wide at points, Oscar tripped over his own feet and pitched forward. He managed to avoid landing on his ball of snow, only glancing to the side of it and knocking a bit of it loose.  
  
"Ohh," he grumbled, pushing himself upright and trying to repair the shape.  
  
“Don’t worry if it gets messy,” Sam reassured his friend. “It’s okay. All you gotta do is add more snow to fix it.” He demonstrated when his ball of snow rolled to a halt, picking up a handful and patting it against the side. “See? It’s like you never bumped it! That’s why snow’s so much fun.”  
  
Dean busied himself rolling his own snowball while he watched over the other two. They were so small, he didn’t want to take the risk of moving from his spot, so he contented himself with what snow he could reach. With Sam under three inches and Oscar decidedly shorter, it would be dangerous to leave them alone. They could slip and fall deeper into the snow, and he might not be able to find them in time. Though the area they were on was packed so they could walk, nothing was ever perfect.  
  
Oscar raised his eyebrows at Sam and watched him fix the shape of the snowball with ease. He shifted his focus from trying to smooth out the shape of his own to adding more snow to it, and grinned as it worked much easier and faster. In no time, he had something closer to a sphere that he could roll around a little more until he thought it was plenty of snow for a snowman. Too much more and he wouldn't be able to get his arms around it properly.  
  
"Okay, I think I'm ready," he decided. "Do you wanna put our pieces together? Maybe we can make a really tall snowman if we do that," he suggested, eyeing the way Sam's snowball was bigger thanks to his head start.   
  
Sam sized up the two snowballs to see how they’d fit together. “That works,” he agreed. He shoved his back over to where Oscar was. It was growing big enough to be hard to push, and picking up more snow the entire time. The entire ground under them was made of snow, at least for a few inches down, so every movement he took packed more snow on.  
  
“There,” he said, satisfied as he shoved it to a stop right next to Oscar. “Now all you gotta do is put on your piece, and we’ll make a little one for the head! That’s all it takes to make a snowman!”  
  
Oscar smiled and nodded, practically bouncing on his feet. It almost made him sink a little in the snow, so he had to stop himself from moving too much. The cold made him shiver up and down instead, but he ignored it to kneel down and try to get his arms wrapped carefully around his ball of packed snow.  
  
With Sam's help balancing it, Oscar lifted it up and set it down on the larger base. They had to pack some snow between them so it wouldn't roll off and make their snowman fall apart. "He's already so tall," Oscar commented with a grin, his breaths coming in shaky patterns as the cold demanded some modicum of attention.  
  
“And now he’ll be taller!” Sam said as he gathered up one last snowball. He quickly packed in the snow, starting to feel the cold as much as Oscar was. The head ended up being a half inch in diameter, and he hefted up triumphantly to place it on top of the body they’d created.  
  
Face screwed up in concentration, Sam made sure the head was exactly in the right place, then poked holes in it to make eyes and a mouth, and formed a protruding nose out of more snow. He grinned in triumph as it all came together at last, proud of their creation.  
  
Sam sent a proud look up at Dean. “Whaddya think?” he asked with a grand gesture at the snowman.  
  
“Hmm…” Dean said, leaning forward a bit so he could see the white snowman, silhouetted against the white ground, better. “I think a pint-sized snowman is perfect for you two. It’s just right.”  
  
Oscar walked curiously around his first ever snowman, noting every detail. This was something he didn't want to forget. The snow was piled up as tall as he was. The head of it would probably melt really fast if Dean had tried to pick it up in two fingers.  
  
He crouched in front of the snowman and busied himself pushing snow around for a few seconds, diligently packing it into the shape he wanted. When he was done, he stepped back proudly to look at the two shapes he'd added. "Now he's got boots on," he explained with a giggle, before boasting "I bet if we had more time we could make a snowman taller than _Dean!_ "  
  
Sam laughed along. “Yeah, _definitely!_ ” He spread his arms wide. “We could make it from the sledding mountain!”  
  
Dean chuckled, and held a hand out next to them. The two kids were both starting to shiver, so it was time to go in. “Maybe if the storm keeps going tomorrow we can try a bigger snowman,” he said gently. His other hand pushed aside the balled up snow he’d been playing with while they built their tiny snowman.  
  
Oscar's teeth chattered for a second before he made his way to the offered hand once more. Once upon a time, such a big hand just _moving_ would have made him flinch in fear. For most humans, that was still the case. Oscar was glad to have a friend among all the giants that ran everything. It made the world seem smaller.  
  
He clambered onto Dean's hand and plopped down in his palm, shaking his head to get rid of any snowflakes clinging to his hair. He flexed his hands, the makeshift mittens curling into tiny fists, a couple times. "My h-hands are moving slow," he commented. "It's too bad snow is so _cold._ "  
  
“Once we get inside, they’ll warm up in no time,” Dean said reassuringly as he lifted the children off the ground. He tucked the hand with the kids into his open jacket to shield them from any wind. There were tiny boot- and footprints covering the little area around the tiny snowman, so Dean brushed them away to hide any indications of the kids. There was no point in taking chances, he knew better than anything. Taking chances with kids was what had got Sam cursed in the first place.  
  
With the area clean of any trace of people the size of his fingers (their snowman still stood proud, Dean didn’t have the heart to destroy it), he bit one of the fingers of his glove to tug it off. He stuck the glove in his pocket, then cupped his bare hand around Sam and Oscar to warm them up a little with the body heat he had left. Compared to the skinny kids, Dean was still warm. They hadn’t been outside long enough for him to really feel the icy chill the way Sam and Oz had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snow angels and sledding! My favorites!
> 
> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated.
> 
> Next: Snow Day 3, coming March 28th


	39. Snow Day 3

Standing, Dean shook his legs off and struck out towards the motel. The rooms were warm so they’d all be able to defrost before settling down for the day with a movie to pass the time.  
  
The warmth of Dean's hand drew Oscar closer to it like a magnet. Now that they were off the ground and the fun in the snow had come to an end, he finally noticed his own shivers. His clothing was damp from the snow melting into it, and he could just barely feel the cold water reaching his feet through the layers of cloth wrapped around them. He'd wrapped them well, but it was inevitable.  
  
He rubbed at his cheeks, noticing that they were numb from the cold. His ears were the same, and he bet both were rosy pink. He sniffled and shuddered, but he was still smiling. "That was a lotta fun," he said, beaming at Sam. "Humans are always staying in the motel and talking about how they're gonna go play in the snow and ski and stuff but I never realized how nice it is. I-if you can stay warm after, anyway."  
  
“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “That would be no fun if you couldn’t go warm up.” He gave a shiver of his own now that the excitement had worn off from playing outside. “It’s better to go back in and have something warm to drink, and find some blankets to hide under to warm up.”  
  
He sidled up next to Oscar so he could feel the warmth that radiated from Dean’s hand, even after all the time spent outside. Sam cupped his hands against his mouth, breathing on them to warm them up. He couldn’t wait to get inside. Even if they just drank hot water, at least they’d be toasty.  
  
It took Dean less time to get back to the room than it had to walk out originally, and the walled hand dropped away from where Sam and Oscar were sitting so the teenager could try and fumble out the key and open the door one-handed. While they waited in their place tucked into his jacket, Sam and Oscar huddled together for warmth. Dean had been keeping the breeze away from them.  
  
The door swung open very quickly, and a blast of warm air hit from the room with the tacky knight decorations in it. Dean put the chain on the lock, and made his way over to the table. He carefully held out his hand so they’d be able to get out, his intent green eyes checking both children over to make sure the second trip had gone as smooth as the first. “So how’s the tiny adventurers doing?” he asked lightly.  
  
Now that they were back in the warm air and Oscar could feel how relieving it was, he took stock of the chill that had snuck into his bones while he was out having fun. He unfolded himself from his huddle on Dean's hand, moving slowly and a bit stiffly. He ended up scooting off the edge and onto the table instead of standing.  
  
"Cold!" he replied with a shaky grin as the shudders made his whole body tremble. He picked at the cloth wrapped around his hands, clumsily pinching the end so he could undo the wrapping and free his hands at last. He stuck his tongue out slightly for concentration.  
  
When his hands were exposed again, he flexed them carefully. His fingers were stiff and pink from the chill, but the warm air was helping him regain feeling in them. "My gloves got wet."  
  
Dean peered down at the tiny wrappings as Sam pulled off his own. “They’ll dry off in no time,” he said to the little kid. “Try and get out of anything that’s wet. You don’t want to get a cold.” Their tiny fingers were so small, he almost couldn’t see them, but he knew they were just like his, and he needed to make sure they didn’t get too cold.  
  
Leaving them to get out of their wet clothes, Dean went over to the kitchenette and started up some hot water. He snagged a hand towel from the bathroom, one that had escaped use so far during their stay at the motel.  
  
Sam had his boots and wet socks off by the time Dean got back to the table. The hand towel was placed next to them, and Dean went to get his own wet clothing off. “Didja want me to grab you anything?” he called over his shoulder to Sam.  
  
Glancing up, Sam thought hard about that. “Can you get my bag of clothes?” he asked. He grinned at Oscar. “You could borrow one of my sweaters!” he offered.  
  
Oscar paused in tugging away his extra shoes, staring at Sam in surprise. Generosity like that kept surprising him, though he really thought he should be more prepared for it. Sam and Dean had been nice to him from the start, from letting him play with them in their room to sending him home with his bag full of food.  
  
"That'd be really nice," he answered, picking at his damp sleeves. The thin fabric was absolutely frigid, and even with the heat on it did nothing to help Oscar retain his body heat. He was glad he'd worn an extra pair of pants. The inner layer was still damp but not soaked. He finished pulling of his shoes and socks and immediately shifted so his feet were underneath him. They were like ice.  
  
"I bet it'd be real comfy. I never made a sweater before, but I should try. It'd really help in the walls," he mused, settling down for a moment with a quiet sigh. All the shivering was hard work.  
  
“Until then you can use this one,” Sam chatted gamely as Dean dropped the tiny bag of belongings off and left to get into his own dry clothes. Sam dug into the collection of items they'd found in the dollhouse section of a toy store. He found a grey sweater that was as nondescript as the clothes came, and tossed it over to Oscar. “ ‘Sides, I have plenty of extras.”  
  
Sam shucked off his own shirt and replaced it with a bright green sweater. Unlike the grey one he'd tossed at Oscar, it was brighter and easier to spot, making it useless if he needed to sneak around.  
  
_Should see if Dean can find some black ones_ , Sam mused to himself. If he was going to put the new skills Oscar had taught him to use, he'd need to be hard to spot.  
  
Oscar turned the sweater over in his hands curiously, feeling the fabric between his fingers and even brushing it on his cheek once. The cloth was soft, but stiff and a lot thicker than anything he had. Oscar had never seen doll clothes this close before, and he was fascinated.  
  
He left the sweater in his lap while he tugged his shirt over his head and peeled away the damp sleeves. For a moment, his chest was bare to the room, revealing the stark shape of his ribs under his skin. Even with all the extra food he'd been given, there was a long year of having very little to eat to make up for.  
  
Soon, he was covered again, pulling the sweater over his head and having trouble with the sleeves and the neck opening for a moment. There was a lot of material in the sweater, one made for someone a little bigger than him. By the time Oscar's head emerged and his arms reached as far down the sleeves as he could reach, his hair was wild and staticky. His hands didn't make it to the cuffs. Even so, he smiled. "It's really really warm! Thanks, Sam!"  
  
Sam had his own sweater on by then, grinning toothily back. “Anytime!” he declared. The sleeves on his bright green one were only a little too long, unlike Oscar who was almost swimming in the shirt. Sam hitched up the sleeves.  
  
Dean wandered back over to the kitchenette with dry clothes of his own on, and took the boiling water he’d prepared. He wasn’t interested in any of the packets of tea that were left with the coffee in the room, but there _was_ a packet that would be perfect for the three kids after playing in the snow.  
  
Hot chocolate.  
  
Smiling as he ripped it open, Dean sniffed the bag. _Perfect_. Before he poured it into the cup, he spotted little white marshmallows in the bag and paused to dig two out. Then he mixed the chocolate powder into the cup, a warm steam rising from it.  
  
Dean came back over to the table with the hot chocolate in one hand and the tiny marshmallows pinched in his other. He sat down, putting the warm cup a few inches away from the kids in their oversized sweaters. “This should warm us up,” he said with a yawn. He’d been up early that morning to see if their school was cancelled.  
  
Oscar's eyelids fluttered closed for a second or two as the warm smell of chocolate permeated the air. Before Sam and Dean came along and gave him a Hershey Kiss his first meeting with them, he'd never known what chocolate smelled or tasted like. He'd never managed to find any, and nor had his mom before she disappeared. Now, it was one of his favorites.  
  
The warmth radiating off the mug also caught his attention. It was even warmer than Dean's hand had been, and Oscar felt an appreciative shudder race down his spine as the cold fled his body. He found himself scooting closer to the mug and holding his sleeve-covered hands up towards it to warm them faster.  
  
"It's really hot, I don't think I could even touch the cup," he assessed with a giggle. He found himself wondering if it was even too warm for Dean to touch it without the handle. Any one of them could get burned.  
  
“It'll cool fast,” Dean said. He leaned back and snagged his jacket. The two tiny cloth bags were still inside, and he imagined the kids would need their supplies to get a cup their size to drink out of.  
  
The jacket was left on the floor in a heap and Dean placed the two bags next to the kids. There was a bottlecap nearby from other days, and he dipped that in the steaming hot drink.  
  
Dean put that on the table, then left the two mini marshmallows next to it. “And one for each,” he announced as he backed away from the snacks to give them space.  
  
Oscar had to pull the sleeves of his borrowed sweater almost halfway up their length to free his hands from them. They might be a bit long even for Sam, considering the way Oscar felt like he was wearing a blanket. He could probably tuck his legs up into the sweater for extra warmth, and he would have considered it if the hot chocolate didn't have his attention.  
  
"Those look good, too," he commented while he dragged his bag to himself to dig through it for a foil cup. He reshaped it after finding it slightly squished, and soon he was ready to try the hot chocolate. The smell alone was making his mouth water.  
  
Oscar carefully scooped out some hot chocolate for himself into his cup, nearly fumbling it when the heat surprised him. He set the cup down and let his sleeve fall over his hand again before picking it up, insulated from burning himself. He liked it already and he hadn't even taken a sip. He could feel his fingers again. While he waited, he picked up one of the marshmallows Dean had left for them and nibbled on it rather than filling half his cup with it.  
  
Sam filled up his own cup, only he dropped his marshmallow in it and watched as it started to melt in the warm drink. He copied Oscar’s move with the sleeves to keep his hands from the hot sides, and blew on the top. “I love snow days,” he said, almost to himself as he watched the steam rise.  
  
“Fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow,” Dean murmured in reply. He reached forward and touched at the side of his cup. It was still too hot to drink, but he looped his fingers through the handle to get some warmth back.  
  
The three friends shared their warm hot chocolate as the snow continued to pile up outside, hoping for another day of fun to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot chocolate is a great way to wrap up a snow day, now that everyone is warm and cozy back in the room. Time to enjoy the rest of the day!
> 
> Kudos are appreciated and comments are love!
> 
> Next: Conclusion to Hershey Kisses and Salt Lines on March 30th


	40. A Farewell to Knights Inn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thanks for sticking with us for this story and it's time to say farewell to Knights Inn..._

Oscar woke with a yawn and a slow stretch, arching his body under his pile of blankets. His eyes only cracked open after he released that tension, letting out a content sigh. He lay there a bit longer, letting himself wake up.  
  
And then he remembered what day it was, and bolted upright.  
  
He’d already prepared the night before, so getting himself ready was a short process. It was the reason he was in his house anyway, instead of the warm, cozy pillow in the motel room. Oscar swung his heavier bag over his shoulder and pushed his door closed tightly behind him, walking briskly in the dark with a sense of purpose.  
  
Today was the day he was going to ask Sam and Dean to take him with them when they left.  
  
The last month was filled with so many joyful memories with the first friends Oscar had ever made. He thought of that first night, hardly believing it had been a month.  
  
_He ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, the wall stretching far above him on one side. His shoes pressed against the worn carpet with a desperate force borne of an instinctual need to escape._  
  
A booming in the floor and a tower moving in his periphery made his heart flutter. The floor quaked beneath him and he almost wondered if it would toss him into the air with all of the shaking. Oscar ran on with fear mounting in his core.  
  
And then, something huge slammed in front of him, barring his desperate run from continuing. A matching wall of fingers appeared behind, and before Oscar could do more than whip his gaze to the side and see an enormous face above, the two hands sealed together.  
  
Oscar was shoved by one and jostled right off his feet onto a net of fingers bigger than him. He was in a dim cage that shot up into the air so fast that Oscar thought he might fly right up to the faraway ceiling …  
  
Now, Oscar was over the moon with happiness. He’d gone from screaming and crying in terror of the human named Dean to befriending him and his little brother Sam.  
  
Oscar’s cheeks and frame were fuller than they had ever been in his life. His brown eyes were brighter and he was more energetic than ever. Having regular access to food and lots of it had sent Oscar’s health absolutely soaring.  
  
He had so much to be thankful for, and maybe it was selfish of him, but he hoped they would let him come along when their father returned for them. He hoped that he’d just closed the door on his little house for good this time, and that this was the last time he crawled through the opening into the air conditioning duct.  
  
Oscar stopped cold at the sight of … something in the vent. His first instinct was that it could be bad and he should run. But instead, he crept forward. After a few more inches, Oscar realized what it was.  
  
It was a plastic baggie the width of his bed, full of food. It looked like mostly granola with some chocolate and nuts mixed in. Oscar smiled. It was _so much_ food!  
  
He was about to crawl out of the vent to find his friends and thank them when something under the bag got his attention. Oscar tugged the slip of paper out and held it up in the light. His reading was slow, but he could still make out the words in Sam’s handwriting.  
  
_Dad came back early and he's really scary angry. He says we have to leave that there's a monster on his tail. He won't listen to Dean and he told me to pack up but I won't I w--_  
  
By the time he got to the end, Oscar’s hands gripped the thick paper with knuckles that almost matched it. With a shaky intake of breath, he turned it over and the large, blocky handwriting of Dean Winchester all but punched him in the gut and set the tears loose from his eyes.  
  
_SORRY OZ_  
  
Oscar dropped the note and faced the vent. He crept up to the opening, peering into the room. One of the beds was still rumpled, and the trash can was full. But there were no bags. If Oscar leaned out far enough, he could see the counter at the sink was bare. No toothbrushes, no travel bags. The table top was beyond his sight, but Oscar already knew.  
  
No Sam. No Dean.  
  
Oscar climbed through the vent and ran out onto the floor, his heavy bag pounding against his side. He stopped and twisted this way and that, looking for his friends. But the words in Sam’s handwriting echoed in his head. His friends were gone. He had slept too long, and now they were gone for good.  
  
Just like his mom.  
  
The world around him had slowly been shrinking. Oscar had found, with every new experience Sam and Dean brought to him, that the big world had become manageable. He could face it if he had his friends nearby.  
  
As he stood there in the  middle of the floor, suddenly everything snapped back. The world was big again. He shuddered and looked around him at the tall furniture. The table was dangerous again, the dresser was a risky cliff again.  
  
Oscar was alone. _Again._  
  
He let out a squeal of fear and darted back towards the vent. It was no longer safe for him to be in this room … it wasn’t theirs. They were gone and Oscar couldn’t rely on them anymore.  
  
He scrambled back into the vent, shaking from head to toe.  
  
He waited there until he heard the maid’s cart squeaking along outside. Then Oscar stood up weakly and started the task of dragging the note and the bag of food - the last help they could offer him - through the air conditioning duct. It was cumbersome and slow, but Oscar had no reason to rush.  
  
He didn’t have anywhere to be anytime soon.  
  
When he pulled the baggie into his home and pushed his door shut at last, Oscar realized his cheeks were wet. He sniffled and wiped at them with his hands before giving it up as a lost cause and pulling the bag over to his brimming pantry and leaving it there. His cloth bag was discarded as well.  
  
Oscar sat delicately in his ring box chair and picked up the scrap of cloth next to it. He set to work dethreading, his eyes hollow and his fingers moving almost on their own. He’d need to make himself new pants soon. He’d already finished an extra shirt and shoes. He was making his way down the list.  
  
He was back to the way things were before. At least now he had food. The tears kept racing silently down Oscar’s cheeks anyway as he worked. They continued later when he ate a small ration of granola and chocolate that left him wishing he could have just one more bite.  
  
He had to be careful with his resources now. He wouldn’t be able to treat himself to seconds or go ask for more.  
  
That night, Oscar dug the oversized sweater Sam had given him out of his packed cloth bag. It wasn’t going traveling anywhere with him anymore. He pulled it over his head solemnly, and tugged up a sleeve so he could wipe at his eyes some more. Then, he snuggled into the many covers on his bed and wrapped them tightly around himself to keep warm. He pulled the hem of the sweater over his curled up knees as the wintery temperature dipped lower and lower. When he was curled up into a shivering ball, Oscar finally let himself sob.  
  
He never imagined it’d hurt this bad when they left. Then again, Oscar never imagined getting his hopes up so high to leave with them. They were humans. He didn’t belong with them. It made more sense for them to leave without him. At least they left him food.  
  
Even as he told himself all these things, Oscar cried until he could hardly take a breath. He lamented that he’d probably never see his friends again, the only friends he ever had. They would go on out into that huge world and meet new people and see new things. And Oscar … Oscar would stay where he was. His food would eventually deplete and he’d go back to fighting every single day for his survival.  
  
Oscar wept until the exhaustion drew him into sleep, much like when he’d lost his mom. He was plagued by thoughts of what had become of him.  
  
Forgotten.  
  
Abandoned.  
  
Alone.  
  


* * *

  
The towns that passed by the window of the Impala blended together. Sam was leaning with his head against the glass, his older brother Dean in a similar position with the younger boy sitting on his shoulder.  
  
Both of them had argued with John when he’d burst into the room and all but _demanded_ they pack to leave.  
  
He’d arrived with a monster on his tail, one that had already sussed out the fact that the young kids were in the motel. He wanted to get his boys out of danger.  
  
But he didn’t want to listen to what they had to say.  
  
Sam didn’t even know if John understood that there was another kid in that motel, alone and abandoned. A kid that they wanted to take with them, find him a better home where he wouldn’t have to fight to survive.  
  
“D-do you think he’ll be okay?” Sam asked his older brother in a tremulous voice that wouldn’t carry farther than a few feet away. It didn’t matter, since they were sitting so close together, as always.  
  
Dean blinked his large green eyes slowly, glad Sam couldn’t make out his face from where he was sitting. A tear hid in the corner of one eye as he remembered the kid they’d befriended. Oscar, who’d almost starved after losing his mother.  
  
A kid who’d helped Sam with no thought of his own gain. A kid that barely stood over two inches tall, small and scrawny, but able to put on some weight after he’d started to hang out with the Winchesters.  
  
The kid that was all alone in the world.  
  
Again.  
  
“I don’t know, Sam. I just don’t know.”  
  
**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _We now return to your regularly scheduled programming..._
> 
> For all interested parties, your writers are currently residing in the Swiss Alps. Please direct all inquiries there.

**Author's Note:**

> During the course of this story, Dean is 14, Sam is 10 and Oscar is only 8. Protect smol child.
> 
> This story was cowritten by the wonderful Pl1, and would not be here without her support. Give her some love after helping with such a great idea for this AU! She is a tireless writer.
> 
> How did this story come about?
> 
> There was a prompt on the story tumblr, asking about the Dean Rescues Sam 'verse.
> 
> After that, an idea came to me. People were asking about wee Oscar earlier on in the month, so he was on my mind. I pretty much went to Pl1 and said "Wee Oz pls?" with the biggest puppy eyes you can send on Skype.
> 
> And a story was born.
> 
> Give her a round of thanks for wanting to explore wee Oscar a little more with the Winchester brothers, on top of her other projects! Especially since NaNiMo is in full swing and very time consuming aside from normal life activities!
> 
> This story will post every Monday and Wednesday so long as there is enough material to support the schedule.
> 
> If you have a prompt idea for the story, please tumble on over to the tumblr and drop it in my askbox: http://brothersapart.tumblr.com/


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